The Field Where I Died
by Demona3870
Summary: Cloud has all but accepted his quest to find the Promised Land as a lost cause, when a woman in black offers him one wish... but at what cost? Set after FFVII, Clerith.
1. Let's Make a Deal

_The Field Where I Died_

Disclaimer: I do not own theses characters. All characters and characterizations so far are pulled in some way from a copyrighted series. I am not making any money off of this, and am writing only for my own enjoyment and for the entertainment of the readers.

Chapter 1: Let's Make a Deal

Four choices.

Four paths.

Four futures.

And no real reason to pick any.

Cloud turned off Fenrir and stared out across the fields of yellow flowers to his left. The wind blew through the tall stalks, making the fields dance like rippling waves of gold. The breeze was a soft comfort from the heat of the day, but it brought him no peace. Despite the beauty before him, cast by the shinning sun, he could only see the world in shadows.

18 months. 78 weeks of searching. 547 days of failure.

He sighed and dropped the kickstand. He pulled his goggles from his eyes and stood up to stretch his legs. Moving into the middle of the crossroad, he stared out at the expanse of the Planet, traveling endlessly in each direction. Slowly he turned, weighing each direction with equal pause… and trepidation.

He was so close to home… or at least, home as he now knew it. Edge wasn't far up the western road, less than a quarter day's ride. To the North was the path to Kalm, to the southwest the shores of Junon and transport to the other continents. To the East, endless land until Chocobo Bill's and the ocean, which with proper transport, could take one to the secret islands.

He'd searched them all and had still come up empty handed. There was no riddle to the Promised Land, no quest to obtain a special support materia, no spiritual guidance to connect with those long lost… But he'd seen the vision; he'd nearly touched her in the Lifestream. She was there, and she was waiting for him.

Cloud's eyes dropped from the fields to the black asphalt. Short of death, he didn't know any other way to find her. A soft smile curved his lips, his imagination conjuring up the lip service he would receive if he tried such a stunt. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her face in his mind, beautiful and brilliant and creased with fury at him for doing something so utterly stupid.

The breeze rustled his spiked blond bangs, and he stilled as he imagined her voice on the wind. _"…I'm not worth it…"_

He knew she would say that.

And he knew she was wrong.

She would know that, too… if he had told her. Too little, too late.

He shivered. The sun was hidden behind light gray clouds and the breeze had kicked up to a surprisingly cold gust. The flowers seemed to wilt with the sudden lack of light and warmth, and the world around him became eerily quiet.

His skin tingled, and he had the urge to get on Fenrir and return to Edge, to the Seventh Heaven, to his family and his friends. But he hesitated. Pushing down on the childish panic brought on by the shift in weather, he looked once more across the crossroads. He had to make a decision: go home and move on… or keep looking.

Both choices left little desire for him to move forward. He didn't want to give up… but hopelessness was a terrible companion. And yet, if he quit now… he knew he wouldn't be complete. It didn't make sense, it just was.

His eyes shifted out to the west, to the cliffs overlooking Midgar, and he saw the pouring rain washing away the bloody ground. He felt the weight of the buster sword placed in his hands for the first time, saw the smile frozen in death after he made the promise, heard the anguished scream echo off the cliffs as he relieved the past five years in one moment… _'I said I'd live out both our lives, Zack. Easy to make that promise…'_

Would he have agreed… if he'd known the cost of being a hero?

A rumble of thunder broke his thoughts. He looked up at the sky and knew it was time to go. He closed his eyes. _'Please,'_ he thought silently. _'I don't… I can't… I'm lost, Aerith. Tell me where to go. Help me, one last time. Please.'_ Only the wind answered him. His head dropped and he turned back to Fenrir.

She leaned casually against the bike, watching him with a subtle smile on her lips.

Cloud came up short. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he tried to ground himself to the unexpected visitor. He found himself unable to speak.

"Hello," she greeted softly.

The warm voice woke his senses and he mentally shook away the surprise. He did not return her smile, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"I didn't scare you, did I?" she asked with a tilt of her head, her short brown curls lifting gently in the breeze. "I didn't think SOLDIERs were scared of anything."

Cloud ignored the question. "Do you need help, miss?" he asked quietly. His eyes scanned the area for any indication of how she arrived, wondering if her car had broken down… but he hadn't seen anything along the roads to support that theory.

"_I_ don't," she answered. She pushed off from Fenrir, her slightly shorter frame moving gracefully as she approached him. The wind moved her thin black skirt around her ankles, revealing thin, high heeled straps that would have been hell to walk in across this terrain. She paused a foot from him, crossing her arms over her thin black strapless top as she regarded him, her smile never slipping. Something in her pale blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "You, however…"

Cloud's eyes narrowed slightly. "I think you've got the wrong guy." He stepped forward, moving past her towards Fenrir.

"If you didn't want help, then you shouldn't have asked for it."

Cloud stood by his bike, his face creasing with a frown. "I didn't-." His words caught in his throat.

"The proverbial light goes off."

He turned, his heart pounding a little bit louder than before. He watched her move to face him, her hands clasped behind her back, a slight sway to her body as she moved her shoulders back and forth in a steady rhythm he couldn't hear. Her smile widened.

It left him before he could think. "Aerith?"

She laughed; the soft alto warm and resonating. "Oh, Cloud," she murmured. Her hands dropped to her sides and she slowly stepped closer. "No. She didn't hear you, but I did."

His eyes dropped in an attempt to hide the disappointment. "And who are you?"

"I'm the one who helps people find happiness again." She nodded her head at him. "People just like you."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, you know, the usual. More money, more power, beautiful men and women to wait on hand and foot." She turned away to look out over the fields. "What I like are the unusual requests, like wishing for someone's health to return, or hoping another will find their true love." She looked at him with a smile. "Greed is the most frequent monster, but you'd be surprised how many people use this opportunity to do something for others."

Cloud shook his head. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because this is _your_ opportunity, Cloud," she stepped next to him, placing her hands reverently on Fenrir, "the famous warrior who saved the Planet, who defeated the mighty Sephiroth, who spared millions of lives… who lost so much along the way." Her eyes looked back up to his. "This is your time to get something back."

Cloud broke her gaze, turning to look out over the flowers instead. "If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is."

She chuckled softly. "You are right. That is why happiness is never free. The question is," she drawled as she turned and leaned once more against the bike, "what are you willing to pay?" She smiled when he looked over at her once more. "I'm a deal maker, Cloud. One chance, one golden opportunity, and you can walk away with whatever you dream… for a small price."

"Not interested." Cloud moved to sit on his bike, but her hand caught his arm.

"You are searching for something." She stared at him. "You've been searching for a long time, and now you've come to a dead end." He remained silent, and she moved her head closer. "You can walk away, but if you do, you will never find her. Think about it, Cloud. What about your pain? What are you supposed to do now?"

He stiffened, her words triggering a painful memory he would much rather forget.

She released his arm and backed up, her smile never moving. After a moment, she turned, and began walking away from the crossroad. "Very well. Be safe on your travels, Cloud of Nibelheim."

"Wait."

She paused.

Cloud's hands tightened and his jaw clenched. Something inside him screamed to walk away… but he knew he wouldn't. He figured she knew it, too. He closed his eyes. "You can show me to the Promised Land?"

"Oh, Sugar, I can do much better than that for the Savior of Gaia." She turned back to him, her hands clasped under her chest. "Why waste your time searching… when you can just ask for her?"

His eyes flew open and he turned sharply towards her.

She nodded. "Oh, yes, I can do that." Her head dipped to the side. "Still not interested?" The brilliant hue of his eyes answered her question. She laughed lightly and moved forward. "Well, then, let's get down to business. Tell me exactly what you want."

Cloud hesitated.

"Oh, don't be nervous Cloud, I'm not trying to cheat you," she snickered. "I just want to make sure I give you what you want. You can't go back on a deal once it's been made."

"I want Aerith's life returned to her." His chest tightened, his heart not for a moment believing it could be done.

The young brunette nodded in sympathy. "Yes, it was so rudely cut short, wasn't it? Luckily, she has you. A selfless man such as your self is rare these days."

"What will it take?" Cloud asked quietly.

A short laugh. "Ah, straight to the point." She sighed. "Well, this kind of request is very uncommon. It's going to cost more than the average wish."

"How much?"

She looked at him. "Gil can't buy this."

Cloud frowned. "What then?"

Her eyes moved over his face, studying him. Something worked behind her eyes as if she was weighing a serious decision. "One year."

He felt his heart drop. "One year… you're only giving her one year to live?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm giving you one year, to spend your time as you wish. Then, you will come and work for us."

Cloud paused. "What do you mean?"

"You're well known in many circles, Cloud. Your skills are greatly sought after."

"By who?"

She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "It will be no different than your time with AVALANCHE."

"You want me to be a mercenary," he replied, his voice flat with disbelief.

"A defender of our assets… at any cost, yes."

"And if I wanted to leave?"

She shook her head. "You would break the deal."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning I could no longer keep my end," she answered simply.

He looked away as her reply bounced around in his head. She didn't have to say the words for him to catch the hint: Aerith's life was only as good as his honor to the bargain.

His freedom… for her life.

"It's a good deal."

He turned back to her, and he could see sympathy… with something else behind her pale blue eyes.

"How long will she live?"

"Years."

"And I'm supposed to trust you on that?"

She nodded. "If I don't keep my word, then you get your wish at no cost."

Cloud stared at her for several moments, before looking out over the field. The flowers swayed, and for a brief second, he thought he saw a pink dress and a red ribbon among the golden sea. She deserved to be there, among those flowers, among the living, more than he ever did

And then the absurdity of the situation struck him, and he grunted. "I can't believe I'm listening to this." He turned again to Fenrir. "It's too simple… and I just don't believe it can happen."

"Then walk away, Cloud," she encouraged, her voice gentle. "Go back to your friends and your delivery boy life, and never think about this again. Because if you do, you'll only have regret and the question, 'what if?'."

18 months. 78 weeks of searching. 547 days of failure.

Today, he was offered a chance, a shot in the dark, to find what he'd been searching for. Even if it was unbelievable, hadn't he done other things that were just as crazy? If this was a joke, he'd be angry then he'd get over it. But if it wasn't, and he walked away… he'd live the rest of his life never knowing. His eyes drifted around the crossroad, taking in the four separate paths; each one lead to a different future… each one with its own unique outcome. He knew only one path was the right one.

"I accept."

He looked back at her and realized she had moved up next to him. He stared down into her sparkling eyes, the breeze lifting the scent of vanilla from her clothes and pressing it into his. Her eyes flicked back and forth between his as she moved to stand in front of him.

"So what happens now?" he asked quietly, unnerved by and yet unwilling to move from the petite woman.

"We seal the deal." She reached her hands up to his face, catching his chin between her smooth fingers. "Kiss me, and she will be yours again." She laughed softly at his look of discontent. "Those are the rules, Honey; I don't make them, I just follow them. So, are you in or not?"

Cloud stared down at her, unmoving.

She rolled her eyes. "I can't wait for-."

He silenced her with his lips, pulling her body close into his as he felt the air sizzle around them. She tasted like vanilla and firewood, her body surprisingly hot for the cool afternoon. Thunder crashed overhead, he felt dizzy, and Aerith flashed into his mind, her eyes lifeless as Sephiroth pulled Masamune from her shredded body.

'_Come back to me….'_

"_CLOUD!"_

"No!" He jerked up, his hand reaching for the sword that wasn't at his back. He looked around, panting lightly as his body eased itself out of combat mode. No one was there. The sun was shinning down on the field by the cross road, and he was sitting on the asphalt with his back against Fenrir.

"Gods," he mumbled, dropping his head into his hand as he took a deep breath. He couldn't remember getting off his bike to rest… he couldn't believe he fell asleep sitting next to his bike in the middle of the day…

He couldn't believe he'd thought such a dream could be real. He looked up over the fields, shaking his head at himself for such childish thoughts. When was he going to grow up?

Zack would hope never.

Cloud paused in getting up. Why did he suddenly think of Zack? His eyes gazed over to the cliffs near Midgar. _'That must be why,'_ he thought. _'I'll visit you soon, my friend.'_ In the meantime, daylight was burning. His quest for Aerith was done, and it was time to let go of pipe dreams. He started up Fenrir, and began his way back to Edge.

Despite his desire to let go of childish dreams, he couldn't convince himself to not go to the church. _'One last guilty pleasure,'_ he promised himself. Deep down, he knew the real reason he wanted to go, though he wouldn't say it out loud. If he did, he would have to accept the disappointment when she wasn't there.

It was quiet outside of the church, as always. Even though Midgar was nothing but ruins, the church still looked regal and elegant, even with half the roof gone. He paused at the door, hesitant. He took a breath… and laughed. "You're an idiot," he told himself. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Immediately, his eyes were drawn to the flower patch that practically glowed in the sunlight. He tried not to groan in disappointment at the emptiness that was there. A forced smile filled his face, and he walked closer, pretending for all the world he wasn't hurt.

It didn't matter, no one was there to see him. Yet, he couldn't let go, because once he did, he knew it would be for good.

Cloud walked to the flower patch, his heavy footfalls echoing on the creaky floor boards. He stopped at the hole leading down to the flowers, allowing himself to sit at the closest broken pew. He leaned forward with his head in his hand.

"I'm sorry, Aerith," he whispered. "I'm sorry I can't let you go… and I'm sorry I have to try. I'll come back and visit… I'm just not sure when. I know you understand."

He didn't know how long he sat there, but eventually he looked up and gazed at her flowers one last time. It still amazed him how they grew here, the only place in Midgar, with soft hues of yellow, white, and pink in a twisting vine of green.

He stood and walked toward the door.

'_Pink?'_ Pink flowers didn't grow in this part of the church. He turned, staring intently at the middle of patch. There they were, hidden among the white and yellow petals, a mix of pink, red, peach, and brown…

The church thundered as he sprinted into the flower patch, heedless of the innocent stalks he crushed when he collapsed to his knees next to her. He lifted her up under the shoulder blades, her hair splaying out in brown waves behind her without any ribbon to tame them. His fingers trembled as he pressed them to her throat.

Warm skin. Steady pulse. Even breathing.

He could have wept.

Cloud ran his fingers along her cheek, rubbing his thumb in soft circles, gently calling her name around the lump in his throat. She moaned in reply and his heart stopped when her eyes opened.

The green was dark and hazy, but the fog quickly cleared as she looked at him. "C…Cloud?"

He smiled, his face almost hurting from the size of it. "Hey," he whispered.

She looked around, surprise and worry on her face. "What happened?"

"I made a wish… and someone heard me."

"What?"

The utter confusion on her face made him laugh, a full bodied sound he couldn't remember making in a long time. He felt tears well in his eyes, and he pulled Aerith into a tight embrace as he shook her with his laughter.

"Cloud…" she laughed with him, "Cloud, your hair is tickling my nose!"

The merriment in her voice was music to him, and in a childish act that would make Zack proud, Cloud rubbed his head against her face, making her laugh even more as she tried to push away from him.

"No, stop, it's in my mouth!" She pushed herself back so far she fell out of his arms, landing softly on the dirt.

Her giggles echoed off the walls, bringing life into the church once again, and Cloud leaned over her, staring down with wonder in his eyes. Her face was flushed and her hair was everywhere, and he thought he might die right then if he couldn't get himself to breathe again. He closed his eyes and forced himself to inhale.

'_Please don't be a dream.'_

Blue met green and the church became quiet once again. Aerith reached her hand up to his face, her eyes softening as she brushed away a tear. "Cloud…"

He shook his head. "I've never been better." A smirk quirked his lips despite the tears in his eyes. "Well, actually…" He answered her questioning stare with a dip of his head, catching her eyes for the briefest moment of assurance, before he finally tasted the lips he'd longed for since their first meeting.

Heaven did exist on the Planet. The Promised Land was here.

Finally, his happiness had been found.

/

In the darkness, surrounded by the stench of blood, the sounds of screams, and the taste of terror, a low voice rumbled in content, a long slow laugh rippling forth through the great hall and sending all the little scavengers scurrying.

"Finally… this time, he is ours."

/

_A/N: I hope you've enjoyed the beginning! If you're looking forward to more, please let me know! Thanks for taking the time to read and review! HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY! GO NAVY!_


	2. The Devil's in the Details

Chapter 2: The Devil is in the Details

The sun had set much sooner than either expected. Though they must have sat there for hours, it felt like barely a moment had passed as they talked and embraced and healed each other's scarred souls. The shadows stretched along the church, and a soft growl drew both their eyes toward Aerith's stomach. They shared a glance before they started laughing.

"I think it's time to go," Cloud said, standing and reaching out to help her up. She wrapped one arm around his waist as he placed one arm protectively across her shoulder, holding her close, and leading her towards the church doors. He smiled as he realized that since her waking, there hadn't been a single moment when they weren't touching in some way. It was as if both needed that concrete contact to ensure this wasn't a dream… and to ensure she wouldn't suddenly disappear.

If he had to be her anchor to the world for the rest of his life, it was a burden he would gladly carry.

'_One year.'_

"What's wrong?"

Cloud looked down at Aerith, her eyes drawn slightly. "What?"

She reached her hand up to touch his cheek, making his eyes drift close for just a moment. "You looked sad."

Cloud pulled her hand down to his lips, pressing a kiss to the palm. "I don't think I'll ever be sad again." He smiled as she blushed. "Especially if it's that easy to embarrass you."

She smacked him across the chest. "Oh, stop it."

They stepped down the stairs, Aerith pausing for a moment to look out across Midgar. "It's so quiet…" She felt the gentle tug on her hand, and she refocused her attention to the blond haired man pulling her towards a large black and gold bike. "This is yours?"

Cloud turned to her with eyebrows raised. "You're surprised?"

"You get motion sick."

He laughed. "Yeah, but not when I'm in control." He settled onto the bike and held out his hand for her. Shrugging, she hiked up her dress and straddled the seat behind him, her arms wrapping around his waist. She couldn't help but take a breath as she pressed her head against his back, smelling the earth from the church and the oak that always seemed to linger on his skin. She tightened her hold on him when he started the engine, and bit down a squeal of surprise when they launched off. She loved fast rides, but she'd never been on the back of motorcycle before, and the jump startled her.

Her moment of panic melted into comfort and warmth when his hand wrapped around hers, squeezing it as they weaved through the slums. She wondered briefly where they were going, but found herself not really caring as she relaxed into his back, closing her eyes to focus only on the cool breeze and the warmth of his body.

Too soon, the bike slowed and came to a stop. She sighed and opened her eyes.

"Cloud!"

"I thought you'd want to come here first."

She moved off the bike and stared up at Elmyra's house, the place not having changed a bit in the years since she'd been there. Even in the dying light of the day, the flowers still looked bright, and the glistening water of the fall brought her a comfort she hadn't realized how terribly she missed.

She turned to see Cloud leaning against Fenrir. He smiled before gesturing at the door with his head. "You shouldn't keep her waiting."

Aerith grabbed his hand, her eyes glittering with excitement. "Come on, then!" She pulled him after her, but was surprised to find resistance. "Cloud?"

He squeezed her hand, his smile faltering slightly. "It should just be you two."

"What? No, don't be silly. What will you do, eat out here? Come on."

"Aerith."

She stopped tugging and looked up at him. For a moment, she really looked, and she saw a distant pain in his eyes. "Oh. Oh, Cloud," she sighed, and wrapped her hands around his face. "Cloud, she never blamed you. Everyone was hurting… but she knew."

"I still let her down. I let you-," he looked away. Her fingers pulled his face back, and she kissed his lips softly.

"You never let me down… and I know you never will." She stroked his face. "Please, come in with me?"

After a moment, he nodded. Taking his hand once more, she pulled him to the door, and stood there for a moment. When he asked her what was wrong, she giggled. "I don't know if I should knock or just walk in," she answered honestly.

Cloud banged on the door for her. It was only a moment before a voice called from inside to come in, and excitedly, Aerith slipped in the door, pulling Cloud behind her. From the kitchen, the sound of dishes being cleaned could be heard, and Aerith poked her head around the corner.

Cloud smiled at the excitement that was running through her body, her smile wide and full, and her body twitching with nervous jitters as she waited for her mother to set down the plate she was drying. When the older woman finally turned to see who was standing silently in her home, Cloud was thankful she had no dishes in her hands.

"Hi, Mom."

"Aerith…" Her hands came up to her face, her eyes wide in shock, as her gaze shifted between Aerith and Cloud. He nodded at her questioning look.

"Mom, I'm home."

Elmyra's voice broke as she said her name once more, and rushed forward to embrace her daughter. The room became filled with quiet sobs and shouts of joy as Elmyra's voice rose in praise to whatever god was listening at the time. Soon, the two were talking rapidly; their voices colored with so many emotions Cloud couldn't decipher who was feeling what when.

He stepped back, watching the whole scene unfold with a smile so big it almost hurt. Suddenly, the two were looking at him, and he realized they'd said something, but he didn't hear it. "You brought my girl home?" Elmyra asked quietly.

"Yes, ma'am."

"How…"

He shrugged. "I believed." The room was quiet for a moment. His eyes went wide as Elmyra stepped in front of him. She reached up and pulled him into a crushing embrace, much stronger than he would have given her credit for.

"Thank you, Cloud."

He carefully returned the embrace, his body relaxing as he remembered the hugs he used to receive from his mother… a pang went through him, and he let his chin rest on her shoulder for just a moment as he took from her the comfort only a mother can give.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring her home sooner." He felt the woman shake her head.

"It doesn't matter." She pulled away to grab Aerith and bring them into a large hug. "She's here now."

During dinner, the three talked about everything and anything that came to mind, the house reverberating with a life force it hadn't felt in a long time. Soon, Aerith and Elmyra became caught up in some discussion they'd had frequently before, a light banter between the two displaying an affectionate argument they could never seem to resolve. As they cleaned up around the kitchen, Cloud slipped back out into the living room. Off to the side, he noticed a small desk.

With quick strokes, he penned a short note.

_ Aerith,_

_ You're so happy with your mother. I don't want to take you from that. _

_ I will__ come back in the morning._

_ Cloud_

He folded the note and left it on the table. With a quick glance in the kitchen, he quietly opened the front door and stepped out into the cool night air. From inside, he could hear their laughter, and it warmed him. He looked up into the night sky and sent up silent thanks.

As much as he longed to hold her in his arms and never let go, he knew she wasn't only his, and he could bear one night of selflessness.

But only one.

He laughed to himself before taking Fenrir and walking it away from Elmyra's house, his heart lighter than it had been in all the years he could remember.

/

The next day, he was practically walking on air. One week later, Aerith was nearly fighting him off with her staff for a moment of privacy. One month after that, following a large celebration and reunion with AVALANCHE, Cloud felt like everything was finally going right in his life. He took time away from deliveries to take Aerith to the other continents, to visit Wutai and Icicle Inn, courtesy of Cid and the _Shera_.

The way her face lit up when they were walking towards the airship…

Three months later, Barret helped her open a small flower shop in Edge. Four months later, Cloud was making good money between deliveries for Tifa and Aerith, making life easier to care for the orphans at the Seventh Heaven. With Aerith's assistance, Tifa was given an opportunity to begin training private lessons in self-defense for youths in Edge. Five months after that, Cloud became so wrapped up in the showering of good fortunes, the deal was all but forgotten.

Eight months later, the dreams began.

They were simply unsettling at first, discomfort and a thudding heart the only memory he would have in the morning. As the days passed, though, bits and pieces would come to him. He'd thought they were memories of his travels around the Planet… but these were much more violent. He saw himself fighting, his sword an extension of his arm as he cleanly cut through horrid beasts… and then people. Men, women, children, it didn't matter. His blade was drawn to their flesh, slicing away in quick strokes before moving onto the next victim. He began waking in the morning with their screams in his ears, his hands still feeling warm with the blood that dripped from his sword.

Nine months, the dreams didn't stop when he woke. It didn't matter where he was, whether walking on a street or repairing Elmyra's roof with the guys. The world would tilt slightly, his head would buzz, and then the bright light of the day would be darkened by shadows filled with claws and gnashing teeth. A moment later, it was gone.

His eyes were playing tricks on him again when he returned to the Seventh Heaven from a delivery, and the few orphans who were inside came to greet him. His smile died away when their faces shook and contorted into decaying flesh and toothy, terrifying grins. Their laughter became shrieks and their fingers dug into his skin where they gripped his arms or legs. He smacked their hands away and turned at the shriek behind him. A rotting corpse with jagged teeth and shattered limbs stumbled its way down the stairs, launching at him, its fingers and teeth aiming for his open throat.

Cloud's arm lashed out, knocking the small monster into the wall. It slumped to the floor and didn't move. He swung back to the terrors behind him, seeing only the stunned faces of the children. A door opened, and a worried voice called out. He looked, his arms up to block the children behind him, and saw Tifa come out from the kitchen.

"Cloud, what is- Denzel!" The dark haired fighter dropped to the floor by the still boy, her hands quickly checking for injuries. "Denzel?" She looked back at Cloud, her eyes wide as she opened her mouth to speak. She stopped when she saw the guilty look on his face. Her head turned to the wall where the wood had splintered from Denzel's body. "Cloud… what have you done?!"

Before he could answer, a groan came from the floor, soon followed by a muffled sob. Tifa tilted the boy's head up, speaking softly to him as she asked where it hurt. She could find no broken bones, and no bleeding, but there would be bruises. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her neck as she carried him towards the stairs for his room.

"Denzel-."

"Not now," Tifa snapped at him when she felt the boy flinch and hide his eyes. Cloud could only watch as she took him away, his soft crying lingering in the air. Behind him, the other children left… but not before looking at him in fear and confusion. He dropped his eyes from the stairs, the blue gaze scanning the room as he tried to understand what had happened.

He settled on the mirror in the small living room.

Looking into his blue eyes, he could see the guilt of what he'd done, and the fear he was losing his mind. He laughed, bitterly, but no sound passed his lips. His body went cold as he realized he hadn't laughed at all… but that wasn't stopping his reflection. Its eyes were cold and his face frozen in a cruel smile. It continued to laugh, silently, mocking the young man.

He threw a small knife from his belt, the shattering of the mirror waking him as if from a dream. Inside the shards of glass, he still saw himself, laughing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The nightmare broke; the heaviness on Cloud's head lifting like a blanket pulled from his eyes. He looked up at Tifa, wincing at the anger in her eyes, before looking back at the mirror. "I'm sorry." He moved toward the hall closet to get the dustpan.

"It's going to take a little more than that, Cloud. You could have really hurt Denzel, and now broken glass all over the room? The kids play in there, for Gaia's sake!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "I don't know what happened."

"You don't know how you backhanded a boy across the room? You don't know how you broke the mirror?" Tifa followed him into the kitchen, waiting for something more as he dumped the glass into the wastebasket. The problem was… he didn't have an answer.

Tifa grabbed his shoulders and turned him towards her, shaking him slightly until he looked up. Her eyes flicked back and forth between his, and she squeezed his arms. "Cloud, what's going on?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," he answered. "I thought I saw something… and I reacted. I didn't realize…"

Tifa frowned. "What did you see?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I just… I'm not in my head right now."

"Story of your life." She smiled softly to take the sting from her words, being careful of her jab to his harrowing experience with Zack and Sephiroth. "Cloud…" she took a breath, "does this have something to do with Aerith?"

He stiffened. "What?"

"Look, we all know Aerith coming back was a miracle… but it doesn't completely answer how it happened." She stopped him from moving away, her suspicions growing stronger when he avoided her eyes. "Aerith doesn't know how she came back, none of us know… except you. And you won't talk about it. But… she said something about a wish-." Cloud pulled away from her. She paused, looking at his face.

His eyes had become distant, his mouth tightening to a soft scowl.

"Cloud?"

"Tell Denzel I'm sorry. I'll talk to him later, if he wants to see me." He began heading for the door.

"Cloud, what is it? Are you in trouble?"

"I'm fine." He paused and looked back at her. "And I am sorry." He disappeared out the front, the door clicking softly behind him.

Tifa walked over to the window, watching as he took Fenrir down the road until he vanished from sight. She sighed and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. "Don't shut us out, Cloud." She looked up once more. "Please, don't shut us out."

/

It was close to 3am by the time he got there, the head lights from Fenrir the only illumination along the road. On the long ride, Cloud thought about his last time here, about the woman in black, about the promise he made… and he grimaced as he realized he would soon have to keep that bargain. The more he thought about the job he would be doing, the more dread he felt building in his chest. The dreams… the visions… all of it must have been connected… but how? He knew he would never regret giving Aerith her life back, but a part of him was feeling a heavy weight on his heart that made his breath quicken.

Memories of the ShinRa mansion, and Hojo with his scientists, flashed through his mind. It was not the specific tests and the terrible pain that made his throat tighten, but the memory of not knowing what was happening next… the waiting, and the wondering… without Zack, he may have completely come undone beneath the town of Nibelheim. Here, in the present, he recognized that first stage of fear, confronting the unknown. With any luck, he'd shed some light on the coming darkness, and better prepare himself for the fight to come.

He slowed and parked, keeping the beam pointed directly across the center of the crossroad. He moved to the middle, looking around in each direction, unsure of what to do next. He didn't even know her name.

"I need to talk to you," he called out to the darkness. Silence, save for crickets, answered him back. Slowly, he spun in a circle, his eyes searching. "Hello?" Something shuffled out in the field, drawing his attention to the right. His mako-enhanced eyes scanned the darkness. Something didn't feel right…

Fenrir opened its side panels, and he pulled out his base sword, leaving it closed as he again searched the area around him. A soft rumbling filled the air, drawing his eyes up to the cloudless sky. His eyes narrowed, his ears listening for the sound again. The air was silent once again. The wind picked up, blowing his bangs back and carrying the scents of the evening past him.

"I know you're here," he said softly. "I can smell you."

"I'll choose to take that as a compliment."

He turned, his sword pointed down towards the ground as the woman stepped towards him from the center of the crossroad. She shook her head as her heels clacked lightly on the pavement. "What are you doing, Cloud of Nibelheim?" she asked, her tone a mockery of a parent scolding a child. "It's a little late for second thoughts."

"It's you, isn't it? You're doing this to me."

She paused before him, tilting her head with a smile. "What do you mean?"

"The dreams, the things I'm seeing." He glared at her. "What is going on?"

She shook her head. "You're seeing the same thing everyone else does. It's just reminders in the mail for your bill coming due," she answered. "You have, what, 3 months left now? You shouldn't be wasting it here with me."

Cloud narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean, 'the same as everyone else'? I thought people paid you in gil… but I was an exception."

She raised one elegant eyebrow at him. "You did think that… I don't remember you asking for details."

He stared down at the petite woman with cold eyes. "What details?"

A sigh left her, her head shaking as she looked down at their feet. "You're very cute when you're angry."

"Trust me; you'll know when I'm angry."

"Oh, we already do. That's why we came to you." She looked back up at him. "You are the exception, Cloud, because you're very special to us. Everyone else, they ask for us, specifically. You, we sought you out."

"Why?"

"You'll find out, soon enough. But reviving the dead… Cloud, that's a dream no one gets, and it's commonly asked for. So you should go back to her, while you can." She smiled and turned away.

"And then what? What happens after that?"

"I think you already know, if your dreams are any indication," she called over her shoulder.

"I won't do it." He watched her stop. "I won't become a murderer. That's what you want, isn't it? Killing others until the blood never washes off?" He scoffed. "I would do anything for Aerith… but I'm not a cold blooded killer."

She turned around, her face neutral. "You don't have a choice."

"If your people want me that bad, they'll learn to live with it."

"You don't seem to understand." She walked towards him again, her hips swaying with each measured step. "You will belong to us… unless you choose to terminate the deal. And the cost for that?" She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers.

The flower fields around them became filled with a soft rumbling. The stems swayed, several flower petals breaking loose in the sudden breeze… and then they began crumbling under the crushing weight of heavy feet. Cloud's hand tightened around his sword, a flick of his wrist sending the blade into battle mode as the rumbling became a distinct, rolling growl. His breath caught as he watched one, two, four, eight, sixteen pairs of glowing red eyes come up from the fields, stalking closer.

'_Shiva have mercy.'_

Only one stepped forward, to stand next to the woman in black, but to him one was enough. The beast was huge, a massive dog of sinew muscle and ripped flesh. Several rows of teeth were bared in his direction, and the claws extending from its enormous paws looked coated with the dried flesh of its previous victims.

Even with his great skill and speed, Cloud had a sinking feeling he wouldn't be able to fend off a small group of these creatures, let alone the horde that surrounded him now. He watched as she reached down her hand and petted the menacing beast, stroking its knurled head and soothing it with soft words.

He answered her question with his own. "I back out and you send your pet to eat me alive?"

She chuckled softly. "No. Have you forgotten the terms?" She looked back up at him. "If you break the deal, I'll send my pets after Aerith."

Cloud stiffened, his heart freezing in his chest.

"How long do you think she can fight them off before they start peeling the flesh from her delicate frame? And maybe Tifa, if she's there. And what a shame if those orphans are with her, too!" She knelt down next to the beast and stroked its chin. "My boys just love children." Her voice ceased when the blade flashed before her, Cloud standing threateningly behind it.

"You'd threaten innocent children?" he asked quietly, his voice laced with disgust. "Who are you people?"

"You still haven't figured it out?" She laughed and looked up at him.

Cloud's eyes widened and he stepped back in surprise. The blue eyes were gone, lost under a thin layer of blood red that engulfed her whole eyes, making them glow softly in the moonlight. Her soft smile, never having faltered, looked positively frightful under her ruby eyes.

"We're demons, Cloud. And just like everyone else, we have to make a living. Sadly, it's at your expense." The red rolled back up into her head and her pale blue eyes looked human once more. She stood and stepped closer to him. Her eyes roved his face with a look that could almost be called sympathetic. "Like I said, most people ask for us… because they already know the routine. And the price is always the same. One soul for one wish." She reached up a hand tap lightly against his chest. "Your soul is just getting ready for the trip."

Cloud was so stunned by her words; he barely registered the gentle caress of her hand on his cheek. _'My soul… my soul?'_ His eyes flashed to hers, now so close to his face, as if she desired to wrap him in a hug and comfort him like a frightened little boy. The shock of her proximity drove him to step back, and a grunt left him as he found himself planted, his arms pinned at his sides, unable to move.

"I guess I should have told you just what you were getting into… but I'm just not that nice of a demon." She stroked her fingers up into his hair. "Yet… there is something about you. Your life has just been so… tortured, it makes your soul that much more delicious," she whispered, pressing her nose into his neck and brushing her lips to his warm skin with the touch of a ghost.

"Get away from me," he growled.

She laughed into his neck, her arms linked up behind his neck and she brushed her lips along his chin. "I like you, Cloud of Nibelheim. You are very amusing to me." She traced her lips along his jaw before stopping to press a light kiss below his ear. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she spoke. "So, I'm going to tell you a little secret. Everyone else gets thrown down into the pit, to be tortured for eternity… but you, well; we have bigger things in mind for you." She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. "You should be grateful." She ran her thumb over his lips before she moved away.

Cloud took a breath as he felt the invisible hands release him.

"I meant it when I said it was a good deal. It really is. But, if you want to back out," she scratched the beast behind its ear once more, a growl escaping its throat as it sneered at Cloud, "you know what my hounds will do. And if you try to protect her, I'll make you watch."

His hands tightened by his side, his head dropping in frustration as he knew she meant every word.

"See you in Hell, Cloud of Nibelheim."

He lifted his head to find her and the beasts gone, the crossroad empty of everything but him and Fenrir. His body felt numb as he got on his bike; a growing buzz in his head making the world seem all that much more surreal. A few flower petals drifted across the breeze to land on his lap, and his heart ached.

Aerith.

He needed to see her. He needed to feel her breath on his face, to feel her steady pulse beneath his fingertips. He needed to know she was ok… and he needed her to heal him.

Fenrir roared off down the road, drowning out the soft sounds of the night. As the sun rose over the Planet, Cloud was oblivious to the bright hues of the morning. All he saw was her face, her eyes full of sadness. All he heard was his words, over and over again.

'_Aerith, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.'_

But he knew she wouldn't. She would never forgive him… because she would never know.

_A/N: Thank you to Scatterheart Angel, sloganlogan, and DistantxRain for all your support, and hugs to all the other readers who continue to follow along! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you like Cloud angst, hold on tight, it's ramping up!_

_Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!_


	3. Something Wicked

Chapter 3: Something Wicked

_A/N: Hi, all. To those who have asked, yes, this story is inspired by Supernatural. Thanks to Luna Goddess of the Night for voicing a concern regarding the following chapter: As you read, you may be keen enough to find an intermingling of other series as well. Can you guess them all? Thank you for the support and the reviews, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

_Disclaimer: There are elements and specifics lines from an episode of Supernatural in this chapter. That material is not mine, and is only being used as imitation for this story. Imitation is the highest form of compliment, and full credit is given in the author's note at the end. Thank you Luna Goddess of the Night!_

It started with a surprise visit. While tending to the flowers in her mother's garden, Aerith was startled to find Tifa standing next to her, an unreadable expression on her face. Before Aerith could say a word, the young fighter asked her if they could talk about Cloud.

Aerith felt nervousness coursing through her at the start of that meeting. While the two would openly admit they were friends, and cared about each other, there was always a tension when it came to Cloud. Both knew the other cared for him, deeply in some respects, and those awkward moments still arose between them whenever Cloud was near.

Now nearly one year after her resurrection, Aerith thought they were going to talk about the chocobo in the room. She was not prepared for the revelation of Cloud's attack on Denzel, or the sudden withdrawl of his presence from the bar and the children, or the nightmares he refused to talk about.

Aerith had noticed a growing weariness in his body, but every time he looked at her his face was alight with a happiness she hadn't seen in him before. Always a private person, no matter how close he seemed to get with anyone, anytime she inquired about his health he brushed her off with a shrug and a sweep of his lips across hers. "Never better," he would say, and his eyes revealed nothing different to her.

The nightmares concerned her greatly. As Tifa described them, the restless nights had begun about two months earlier, and continued to get progressively worse. He couldn't sleep through the night now, and would leave before dawn to avoid the questions Tifa was hounding him to ask.

It made sense to her now, why Cloud refused to spend the night with her anymore. Aerith had wondered if they'd gotten too close too quickly, when she first arrived… that he opened himself up more than he'd meant to, and was trying to regain his balance. In a way, she understood; she was still trying to regain hers. He pulled away, but was no less loving or sincere to her during their time together, and his sudden departure didn't come across as that surprising, or hurtful.

Now, as she thought back carefully, she realized there were a number of odd things that should have stood out to her. The distant look he would get in his eyes when he thought he was alone, the strange way his eyes glowed when she caught him staring at her… and then her staff. As Tifa talked about what she thought might be causing the dreams, Aerith's eyes traveled to the silver staff near the door.

… _she heard his heavy footfalls, and she greeted him as she finished packing in the dirt before she looked up. "I was wondering if you were going to come by, you're not usually gone this long in the morning…" her voice trailed off._

_He stood at the edge of the flower patch, a soft smile on his face under bright blue eyes as he held out the staff. Her breath caught when the sun reflected off the bright silver metal, an almost heavenly glow surrounding the rod as her eyes traveled up the length. At the top, an interweaving of gold and silver metal thickened and fanned out into a gold crescent shaped piece. _

"_Cloud…"_

_He beckoned her off her knees, pulling her to him as he pressed the cool metal into her hand. Again, her throat caught as she held the staff. It was lightweight and perfectly balanced, but it wasn't the exterior that held her captivated. As her hands tightened around the precious metal, they warmed with the vibration of energy surging through the staff. She felt her heart sing at the gentle power flowing through the staff and into her body, giving her a sense of comfort and instant peace._

"_Do you like it?"_

"_Cloud, it's incredible." She looked up at him, her mouth opening to speak._

"_It's called the Staff of the Magi," he stopped her, his voice warm and soft. "It's supposed to have powers close to those of Holy, and… well, it's as much of an amulet as a weapon, and it should keep you safe." His eyes ducked away, his voice dropping in embarrassment or in discomfort, she wasn't sure. "I know it's not your Princess Guard, but I hope it will do."_

"_Cloud, I love it, I really do." She gave the staff one more appreciate glance before looking up to him once more. "I just… is there something I need protection from?" she struggled with the words, conveying her confusion as to why he'd bought such an extravagant gift for her._

_In the moment her eyes caught his, she'd seen something, a flash of another emotion he quickly hid away. Now smiling, he shrugged. "With that, things will need protection from you!" he joked. Wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close, he kissed her forehead. "Really, you know I sometimes have to go away on long deliveries, and I'd feel a lot better knowing you and your mother were safe out here."_

"_Aside from falling piles of metals and mortar, I really don't know what else I'll need to fend off," she replied lightly, but kissed his lips in gratitude and said, "but I don't love it any less. Thank you, Cloud."_

Then, it had been a thoughtful gift she cherished. Now… now she was beginning to wonder if there was something more to the story.

"Has he said anything to you?" Tifa's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She shook her head in reply.

"You know he won't," she answered quietly. "The same way he won't say anything to you." Her green eyes met Tifa's burgundy ones. "He's been all smiles, every time I see him. He's only looked tired, and that he blames on us running him across the Planet."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Of course." She shook her head and looked at the floor. "I asked him about the wish."

"Did he tell you anything?"

Tifa looked up again. "No."

Aerith sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Do you think…?"

"Yes. And I think you're going to have to force the truth out of him because-."

Aerith looked up at the raven-haired brunette who stopped so abruptly. "What?" She was surprised by the intensity of the stare she received.

"Aerith, I have a really bad feeling." She paused. "Don't you?"

Aerith's eyes moved to her staff once again, her chest tightening as Tifa's words echoed in her head.

/

The dust drifted around his feet as he stepped up to the rusted Buster sword, slanting out of the cliff face. Cloud stared at it a moment before his eyes flicked up to the ragged remains of Midgar in the distance. Overhead, clouds rolled in, dark and brooding, a distant rumbling warning of the rains to come.

"Hey, Zack." He looked down at the sword again, avoiding looking at the overcast sky, trying to stop the memories of the last time he was on this cliff as it rained. "It's been a while. I'm sorry." He sighed.

"I wish you were here," he muttered softly. His eyes fell to the ground, unable to look at the tarnished metal before him. "I… I did something, Zack. I did something I don't regret but I…" His fists tightened, his words catching in his throat.

His eyes lifted again, focusing on the sector where Aerith's church stood in ruins, the revived Ancient probably tending away at her precious petals as she hummed quietly. His heart ached as he thought of her, thought of the pain he would cause her if she knew the price for her life. It had been so easy to agree, and even after learning the truth, it had been easy enough to accept…

Now, with nightmares appearing to him in the daylight hours, Cloud wasn't so sure of himself anymore. Now, with the images of what was to come, with the constant feeling of blood running down his hands, the heavy weight of the sword thrusting mercilessly through everything in his way-

A howl in the distance sent his heart thundering, his body seizing in panic as a hellhound flashed before his eyes. It was gone when he blinked, but the fear was still spreading in his chest, threatening to rip him to pieces from the inside out. Flashes of darkness, needles, mako injections and years trapped in the silent agony of his mind made his jaw clench. He leaned on Zack like a lifeline then. He found himself desperately reaching out for support again.

He struggled with the words as they spilled from him.

"Gods, Zack, I'm scared." A gloved hand came up to his forehead, covering his eyes in embarrassment; feeling once again like the insignificant cadet who didn't have the courage to show his face at home. "I don't know what to do. I can't fight this… I can't risk them getting hurt… but I don't-I can't-." He took a shuddering breath, his composure hanging on a thread from his sleepless nights and his false bravado around his friends.

"Help me," he begged softly. "I need you, Zack. I can't do this alone…"

"Hey, Spike."

Cloud's breath froze in his chest. The voice drifting across the increasing wind was a warm contrast to the cold air. He distinctly heard the sound of metal and a shift of earth, followed by a _woosh_ of air as something was spun near him. Hesitantly lowering his hand, he peeked through blonde bangs to see the Buster sword was no longer embedded in the ground before him. A sound to the right drew his gaze away, and he felt his heart stop.

Looking carefully at his once beloved weapon, First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair stood tall and proud, his black spiked hair blowing casually around his face. Still dressed in his traditional SOLDIER uniform, this time it was without the holes and blood as Cloud had last seen. The young man shook his head and _tsked_ in disappointment.

"I'd have thought you would take better care of my things."

"Zack."

Violet eyes flashed up to his, the mako injections making them glow a lighter blue in the dying light of the day. The usual cocky smile was no where to be seen on his smooth, unmarred face. Instead, his expression seemed almost sad, regretful. He sighed and put the sword back in the ground before walking to the edge of the cliff and looking out over Midgar.

Cloud swallowed, his blood beginning to pound as he wondered if this was just another trick. He closed his eyes, waiting for the wave of dizziness that would alert him to the altered reality he slowly seemed to be falling into, but nothing happened. He looked up again to see Zack still standing there, his back still to him, his muscled arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Zack," he whispered, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Zack-."

"You said you need help."

Cloud paused.

"Is life getting the best of you, Spike?" He turned, his face neutral. "You, the hero of the Planet? How is that possible?"

Cloud flinched. "I…" he looked away.

"You put others before yourself." Zack turned away again. "You jump head first into the unknown to rescue the damsel in distress. You don't care about the consequences when you know it's the right thing to do."

"Remind you of anyone?" Cloud replied.

Thunder rumbled across the sky, close enough to send vibrations through the ground.

"I wanted to be a hero," Zack said quietly. "Did you?"

The question caught Cloud by surprise. He frowned as he answered, "I don't know."

"What did you want to do with this life?" Zack asked.

Cloud's frown deepened. "I-I don't know."

"Where are you going to go from here?"

Cloud shook his head, his voice becoming laced with frustration. "I don't know, Zack."

Zack turned and faced him again, a flash of lightning breaking across the sky and making his eyes glow. "What do you know, Cloud?"

The words left him before he knew what they were. "I know I don't want to die."

"Everybody dies, Cloud."

"Yes, but I don't want to go, not like this," Cloud answered softly, his head shaking in dismay. He refocused his gaze on Zack. "I don't know what to do," he said, his eyes pleading.

The deceased SOLDIER moved before him. With an unreadable expression, he pulled the smaller man into a tight embrace. Cloud gasped at the feeling of warm skin and muscle, not expecting the solid form to encase his slender frame. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around his friend's waist, relaxing his shoulders and taking a breath to accept the comfort offered.

Zack's hand ran through his blonde hair, gently stroking the scalp at the back of his head. "You're going to do what you always do, Cloud," he replied quietly. "Don't you know what that is?"

Cloud took a deep breath. "Fight back, kill some bad guys, and go home?"

"No. You're going to sit back and wait for someone to tell you what to do."

Cloud's smile faltered. "Huh?"

"But this time, no one's going to be there to pull your strings. So you're going to die."

Cloud lifted his head, pushing away from the taller man, his face creased in confusion. "What?"

Zack stared at him, sympathy etched in the lines of his face. "You're going to die, Cloud. And you're going to go to hell. And there's nothing you can do to stop it… because you're not strong enough to do it."

"What are you-?"

"You asked for my help, I'm giving it to you. I'm telling you the truth. I know why you came here, and if you stopped crying over your pathetic excuse for a life, you would know it, too."

Cloud felt like the wind was kicked out of him.

Zack's head tilted to the side. "Can't you think this one through, or do you need me to hold your hand again?" When Cloud didn't answer, he shook his head. "Oh, I forgot, you don't remember how to think on your own two feet. You just take orders and go through the motions, no question, no passion, nothing. You're as mindless and obedient as an attack dog." He tilted his head, his eyes coming level with Cloud's. "Sephiroth's attack dog."

"No." Cloud turned away, his fists tightening as he willed himself to wake up from this nightmare. "You're not real," he whispered.

"Maybe that's why you're going to give up and die. Life is just too hard when you've got nothing to live for, huh? All you have is Aerith… and she was never yours to begin with. You were just a fill in for me."

The young blond looked back at Zack, his eyes narrowing. Zack paid no heed.

"And not much of one, huh? No family, no accomplishments to call your own… no hope." The SOLDIER began taking slow, measured steps towards the ex-infantry man. "I guess it's not much of a life worth saving, is it?"

Cloud's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword, his eyes sending off a clear warning to his long dead companion.

Zack stopped. He looked him up and down before continuing. "How can you pretend you're mad when you know it's true? You've known all along. Ask yourself: Who are you really? Not Cloud Strife, the backwards kid who couldn't pass the entrance exam into SOLDIER."

The memory burned into life in Cloud's mind. He'd been heartbroken when he failed those tests and was regulated to being a low level infantry man. He'd let down everyone… then he'd met Zack. Cloud's eyes flashed up to the SOLDIER standing before him, and his mind screamed at him, _Not this Zack. Wake up, Cloud, wake up!_

"You failed at your dreams," Zack said, "… so you stole mine."

"No," Cloud whispered harshly, "I didn't know. I was sick-."

"Mako poisoning, right," Zack soothed. "Back then. But what about now? Look at yourself. Whose clothes do you continue to wear? Mine. What kind of sword do you still use? Mine. Which woman did you fall in love with? _Mine._

"Do you even have an original thought?"

Cloud winced.

"No," Zack muttered, "guess you wouldn't need to, with Sephiroth telling you what to do, or me telling you how to live. So much easier to let everyone else do the work… then take all the credit."

"Stop it."

Zack started walking forward again. "When are you going to learn, Cloud? You couldn't cut it as a little boy. Tifa got hurt because of you. You couldn't cut it as a man. Aerith _died_ because of you. And here you are, still pretending you're worth something, but you know the truth. You don't deserve to live. You're a fake. You're a washout. Hojo couldn't even be bothered with you during his experiment you were such an absolute failure."

"Shut up."

But he wouldn't. "And Meteor? You didn't stop that. You didn't save the planet. Aerith did. Like it wasn't enough she lost her life, but then she had to save everyone else's, because you couldn't frakking do it. As usual."

Cloud's hand squeezed the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowed and glowing. "I'm warning you…"

Zack stared at him. "I'm sorry, Cloud. Truly, I am." He turned back towards his decrepit sword. "The mistake was all mine. I should have left you there, at the bottom of the Shinra mansion, a useless floating artifact. I should have defeated Sephiroth. I would have saved a lot of lives… _I_ would have saved Aerith.

"Now you get to die in her place." Zack turned back to him with cold eyes. "Looks like you finally did something right."

"Son of a bitch!" First Tsurugi flashed out to be blocked by the rusted Buster sword. Cloud attacked, his movements quick as lightning as he pushed Zack closer to the cliff's edge, his words cutting through the inbound storm's fury. "I never wanted this! I never wanted to be the hero, you did! You wanted me to carry on _your_ life, not mine! Your dreams, your honor, all of it, _all of it_ was yours! You never should have put that on me, damn you!"

Zack caught Cloud's descending blade with a parry that brought them almost eye to eye, his back foot knocking pebbles off the cliff edge to fall hundreds of feet below. "You're right Cloud, because you were too weak to handle it. You broke into so many jagged pieces, and all the king's men couldn't put you back together again," Zack sing songed.

"No!" Cloud spat. "I was still a child, and you knew it! You could have run, but you had to be the hero. You had to take on the whole ShinRa army, to protect the helpless little boy you called 'friend,' and look what happened?!" Cloud pushed the swords down, stepping away from Zack as he left himself wide open to an attack.

"You died, and you left me to fall apart! You left me to carry on your life when I didn't even know how the hell to deal with mine! You took away my dreams! I didn't ask for that! I didn't deserve that! _And I don't deserve to die because of it!_"

Zack stared at him, unmoving, his face revealing nothing. Thunder cracked across the sky. Rain began pouring down upon them. Everything went quiet save for the soft pounding of the rain as it fell from the heavens.

The deceased SOLDIER placed the sword back into the ground before speaking softly. "You can save yourself... but are you strong enough to do it?"

Cloud opened his mouth to answer, his words dying off when his name was called from behind. He turned to find Aerith standing there, her staff held out in front of her, tears in her eyes. Her face was tense, as if she was in great pain, but her stance was firm.

"Aerith…"

She shook her head. "It's the only way, Cloud. I'm sorry."

Cloud moved forward. "What do you mean?" He raised his sword to sheath it behind him… but his body didn't listen. Instead, his sword came up to his waist in his typical attack stance. His heart began to pound. "No," he whispered as he felt the familiar strings being pulled once again by the demon Sephiroth. "No, not again!"

"It's the only way," Aerith repeated, lowering her staff and letting it fall into the mud beside them.

"No, Aerith, run!" He fought his body's movements to no avail. He lunged forward, his anguished cry echoing through the pouring rain as he felt his blade rip through her body. They came face to face, his wide eyes staring down into hers, his sword pressed completely through her from hip bone to ribcage.

Her hand, bloody and trembling, caressed his face before she crumbled. He caught her, his body contorting around the sword's handle and life severing blade, collapsing to his knees as he held her in the rain.

_No, no, no, no…_ He pressed his lips against her damp forehead, his fingers running through her hair, his body soaking through with cold rain water and hot blood. "Aerith-," he choked, "no, _no, NO!_"

His scream died away, his head falling into her neck as his sobs mingled with the storm. Distantly he felt the presence of someone standing behind him, but he didn't care if he was in danger. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now.

"You know your choice."

Cloud's breath froze in his chest. His fingers tightened painfully around Aerith's cooling body as the soft voice soothed over him. Slowly, he turned and looked up at the towering figure of Sephiroth, grinning down at him. He was covered in blood; his black wing spread high over head, Masamune dripping rivulets of red from a recent kill.

"Her life… or yours. Either way," he taunted, lifting his blade overhead, "you will become heartless… just like me." The blade dropped, slicing into the delicate skin of his neck at the junction of his shoulder as Cloud screamed in pain-

-he shot up from his drenched sheets, his chest heaving. The room was pitch black, cold and sterile from the comfort he suddenly needed like air. His head dropped into his trembling hands, the fingers tracing over his cheeks wet with sweat and tears.

A chime rang loud in the room, making him gasp and recoil against the headboard. It took him a second to recognize the sound of the clock downstairs. Midnight.

36 hours left.

The walls began closing in on him. Every sound in the house reminded him of claws scratching. The night air breathed down his neck like a beast in pursuit. He needed to leave. He threw on his clothes, his movements increasing to frantic jerks and panicked steps. His heart pounded as he felt the need to go, the need to run and never stop.

Cloud pulled the door open and bit down on a cry of terror at the red eyed beast standing on the other side, its rancid breath warming his face as it stalked up to him. Instinct and fear drove Cloud's fist out with devastating force. The beast side-stepped, getting only a glancing blow. It howled in fury and seized Cloud between its razor sharp claws. Lifting him off his feet, the monster shoved slammed Cloud against the wall, stunning him.

"Cloud, snap out of it!"

He blinked rapidly, his vision clearing to see Tifa holding him up against the wall, her burgundy eyes wide with adrenaline and fear. "Tifa?"

"Gods, Cloud, what's going on?! You almost took my head off!"

Cloud slumped and Tifa caught him, gathering him up in a crushing embrace.

"Talk to me, please," she pleaded into his neck. "Please, Cloud." She felt him shake his head then slowly circle his arms around her waist. "Cloud…"

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, his voice heavy with regret. "I never meant to hurt any of you."

Tifa swallowed the knot in her throat at the despair in his voice. "We know. You don't have to fight this alone. Let us help you." When he pulled back and looked at her, Tifa felt tears well in her eyes at the hopelessness on his face, hidden by barley concealed bravery for her sake.

"I'm all right, Tifa," he lied. "There's something I need to take care of and I have to do it alone."

She shook her head. "No you don't-." Her breath caught when his hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb gently tracing the line of her cheek bone.

"Yes, I do," he argued softly. "But it's almost done now." He smiled. "And then everything's going to be all right again. I just… need you to trust me right now."

"Cloud, what did you do?"

His eyes became sad for just a moment. "I made a choice," he answered. "I just need to see it through."

"Alone?"

He nodded.

"I hate it."

He laughed softly then pulled her into another hug. "I know," he whispered and held her close. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being the friend I never appreciated… until now. You've done so much for me… I'm sorry I didn't see it. I can't repay you-."

She tightened her arms around him, silencing him. "Be safe," she answered thickly, "and come back to us. We need you." She pulled away and wrapped her hands around his face. "Do you hear me? We need you. All of us. So don't…" Her eyes dropped to the floor. "Just don't…"

He leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead. Her hand wove into his and she squeezed, even though she refused to look up. He was grateful; her tears would be too much for him in his unsettled state.

He made his way out to Fenrir, gracing a parting glance up to his room where Tifa stood at the window, her face in shadows. He waved and sped off, knowing full well it was the last time he would see the family that made the Seventh Heaven his home.

And as he drove, the clock continued counting down.

_A/N 2: For those who follow Supernatural, this chapter was inspired by the specific episode "Dream a Little Dream of Me". Some lines in this chapter have been borrowed from that brilliant episode, and I extend a personal thanks to the Erik Kripke and his team of writers for the nearly tangible angst that makes that show so delicious._

_In case I don't get the next chapter out in time, Merry Christmas, everyone!_


	4. Tick Tock

_Chapter 4: Tick Tock_

The air was biting cold against her skin, the lack of sunlight deriving the last bit of warmth from her long coat as she walked up to the church. Aerith didn't normally come to the church this early in the day, but the whispers had returned. She frowned.

Not long after her resurrection, she realized the voices of the Planet were not as frequent as before. Those she did hear, however, came off clearer than she ever remembered. They would talk to her briefly before disappearing again, like a phone line being severed.

In the past few nights, the voices kept coming back, kept trying to finish their words before the connection was lost. The words were spoken with urgency, the sounds all running together as they tried to tell her something too quickly for her to understand. Last night had been the worst, multiple voices coming to her at once as they all tried to reach her.

After the restless night, with her energy spent trying to focus on at least one voice to understand, she finally dressed and left the house in a huff. Instead, her feet carried her on automatic to the church, where she hoped some time working in her garden would help her relax. She just wanted some time to let her mind wander, to forget about Tifa's worry and the voices and her unexplained return…

"Ow!" Aerith looked down at the large dark shiny object she had smashed her shin into, her thoughts preventing her from seeing the giant metallic beast right in front of her. While she rubbed her leg, Aerith's grimace turned into a worried stare as Fenrir became clear before her. Cloud was here?

Moving up into the church, she looked across the dark hall. The gray of the rising morning cast the hall in tall shadows, but she could have found her way around in complete darkness. She walked straight to the flower patch, her eyes scanning for her young blond companion.

To her left, she found him stretched out on a bench, arms crossed over his chest, his face scrunched in discomfort as he shivered.

"Oh, Cloud."

Quietly, she moved to kneel by his side. Her hand moved up to brush the bangs from his eyes, her heart breaking at the look of utter exhaustion on his face, even locked away in his dreams. He shivered again. Setting down her staff against the pew, she removed her coat to drape across his form. Her lips brushed his forehead before she moved away to her flowers, keeping herself busy and warm until he awoke.

At some point she stopped to rest. She guessed it to be close to noon. Her eyes stared up at the overcast sky that threatened some much needed rain while she leaned back against Cloud's pew. The sound of his steady breathing, mingled with the distant whispers of the Planet, lulled her into a doze.

A loud bang made her jump awake. She turned, thinking someone slammed the door open, but froze when her eyes fell on Cloud. He was thrashing against an unseen enemy, his face red and wet with tears, legs kicking out wildly in an attempt to escape his nightmare. Aerith grabbed him, placing her lips close to his ear as she called his name, encouraging him to wake up.

"No, Aerith, _no_!"

She winced when her voice made him more distressed. His suffering seemed to double as he cried out her name in anguish. Her own pain filled cries filled the church when her arms were clasped by his powerful hands, each finger digging into her skin.

"Cloud! Wake up!" His eyes snapped open. Aerith gasped and recoiled. Blood red orbs stared up at her, shining brightly in the shadowed church. "Cloud?!"

His gaze narrowed and he rolled off the bench, forcing her to land on the floor under him. She cried out as she hit the wood hard. His body pinned her down, and she was given no warning before one hand wrapped around her throat. Her hands flew up to his wrist when he started to squeeze.

"Clou-Cl-oud-st-op," she coughed and gagged against his crushing grip. Her vision was becoming fuzzy, black spots dancing around and threatening to engulf her. Nearly blind, she reached her hand out to the pew, her fingers dancing across the cold metal of her staff. It fell into her hand and she swung with her last bit of strength.

Even though it was weak with form and execution, her strike landed solidly against his head, knocking him off her and forcing him into the flower patch. Aerith took a heaving breath, her body desperate to replenish the air kept from her. She turned on her side and coughed violently.

"Aerith?!"

She felt herself lifted, Cloud's eyes staring down at her with worry. The Cetra reacted, bringing her staff up between them and forcing herself away while her body betrayed her as it struggled to breathe again. She watched him through blurry eyes as he tried to understand what was going on. His eyes darted between her throat and her staff marked with blood at the end. His hand reached up to his temple, his fingers coming away red, and her heart broke as he stared up at her in growing horror.

"Cloud," she coughed. She lowered her staff and moved onto her knees, one hand still at her throat while the other reached out to him. "Cloud, it's ok."

He pulled away from her, his head ducking beneath his blond bangs. He shook his head. "No," he whispered hoarsely. He turned away and stood.

"_No,_" Aerith cried out in a ragged voice, her hand grasping the back of his shirt and stilling his retreat. "No, don't run from me, please. Talk to me," she begged.

He didn't speak. He didn't turn.

But he didn't walk away, either.

Thunder crashed over Midgar and a cold wind swept through the church. Rain would be following soon, and if it was steady, it could mean mudslides and shifts in the rubble. Though she'd traversed the slums in the rain before, it didn't make it any safer.

An idea came to her. "Take me home?" she whispered.

He still would not look at her, but gave an abrupt nod to her request. She stood and followed him to Fenrir. They left the church without a word.

The rain was pouring by the time they arrived at her home. He did not look at her when she dismounted, his hands ready to manipulate the metallic beast and race off into the storm. She kept one hand firmly on his waist, keeping her body close.

"Cloud…" He was unresponsive, his eyes fixed pointedly ahead of him. She hugged herself against him and pressed her forehead against the side of his head. "Cloud, do you trust me?"

Again, a curt nod.

She kissed the side of his head and wrapped one hand into his. "Then come with me."

He shook his head.

"I don't want you to say anything… I just want you to follow me… and trust me." She ran one hand along his jaw, the skin cold and dripping water from his chin. "Please?" she whispered against his ear.

She held her breath as she waited for his answer. When she thought he would deny her again and simply ride away, he turned off Fenrir and dismounted. Silently, Aerith tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him into the dark house.

/

The place was cold and silent. Elmyra was not bustling about as usual, but was visiting a friend in Kalm. Aerith, who was shivering, did not go to the fireplace as he expected. Instead, she walked up the stairs, her hand still firmly grasping his. He followed silently to the top of the stairs. Surprising him yet again, she pulled him into the bathroom. Letting go of his hand, she moved the shower curtain and reached down to turn on the faucet. A moment later, the rushing water softened to a gentle shower, and steam slowly began drifting to the ceiling.

She turned and he ducked his eyes away. Nothing was said. She reached behind him and pushed the bathroom door closed with a soft click.

Something about that sound set his heart pounding. Or maybe it was her fingers when they began undoing the buckle to the strap that secured his shoulder armor to his body. Her hands moved down to his shirt, grabbing the soft material at his waist and pulling it from his black pants. She froze when his hands seized her wrists.

This time, his eyes did not drop. She did not flinch from his intense stare. Silently she begged him one simple request: _trust me_.

She did not move, and she did not speak, but breathed softly as she waited for him to honor her plea. His gaze broke away as he studied her face. His eyes traveled across her smooth features, down past her soft lips set in the subtlest of smiles to the long expanse of her neck.

Bruises shaped like fingers were forming on her neck.

He flinched. His eyes lifted to hers when she shook her head, causing rain water to splatter to the floor. No malice could be seen in her emerald eyes, only compassion and hope. He looked down at her hands where they waited patiently at his waist, the heat of her slender fingers burning through his shirt to the tense muscles beneath.

Slowly, his eyes moved back up to hers and his hands released her wrists to drop down by his sides. She nodded at him, her smile gentle and inviting. He relaxed slightly at the sight of that smile.

The shirt came untucked before her fingers clasped the zipper and pulled it down to separate the material. Carefully, she pulled it from his body and folded it across the sink. Settling her hands on his hips, she shifted him around to lean against the sink before kneeling down to remove his boots. At his brief sound of protest, she gave him a quick glare. She set the soggy boots by the sink cabinet and stood once more.

She made quick work of his many belts, and he found himself blushing as she slid the thick material of his pants down his hips. Still, she remained silent, her eyes showing nothing but that same patient plea. She guided him into the bath tub and under the cascading water.

His eyes closed at the sensation of the warm water bouncing off his cool skin. His shoulders instantly relaxed and he found himself taking a deep breath. He opened his eyes once more to see Aerith smiling at him and placing one finger in the air, telling him to wait. Gently her fingers covered his eyes, and he kept them shut, focusing only on the water as it drummed away the stress from his restless night.

He grimaced as flashes of those dreams came back to him. _Zack, Tifa, Sephiroth… Aerith dead at his hands… and the woman in black, taunting him, always taunting him. He tried to kill her, to choke the cruel, stabbing words right out of her… and then Aerith… _His chin dropped to his chest when he saw her struggling to breathe, her staff protecting her from him… of all people, from _him_…

Her gentle touch pulled him back to the present, her strong fingers lifting his chin up so she could look into his eyes when she stood beside him under the spray. _Stay with me_, he read in her eyes. Her fingers moved from his chin over his cheeks and down his neck, their soft touch chasing away every knot that had been growing over months of fear and despair. Again her hand reached up to cover his eyes, encouraging him to keep them closed.

He smelled honey and something tangy before the sponge was pressed against his shoulder, spreading the lather across his upper body. She moved across him in slow, circular motions, trailing down his arms and across his stomach. The gentleness of the caress, mixed with the obvious compassion in her ministrations, forced him to focus on only her movements. He lost the sound of the shower, the smell of the cleanser, the heat of the water, the darkness of his memories… in that moment, there was only her and the heat of his skin where the sponge brushed away the dirt from the flower patch.

Carefully, she turned him around, and began moving the sponge across his back. His body moved into the soft strokes, the tension finally easing from his muscles. There was a moment when the sponge left his skin to be replaced by gentle fingers kneading his shoulders.

Almost instantly, Cloud's arm came up against the wall as if to brace himself from falling, and his head dropped forward as he gave himself over completely to the woman behind him. It shocked him, the power her touch had over him, how it banished his worries and fears and held him anchored to each individual second as it passed by, slower than he ever thought possible.

Her hands moved down his back and curved around his chest. Her arms linked around his front as she pressed her bare body against his back. His breath caught, her name falling softly from his lips. Her hand reached forward to the shower knob, turning it off and leaving them in a cloud of steam. The curtain moved, and a soft towel was pressed around his body, triggering flashes of his mother.

Cloud turned to see Aerith stepping out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her own body as she dried off her legs and pulled back her hair. She smiled at him before holding out her hand, beckoning him to her. He followed, careful to avoid her clothes draped around the bathroom. She pulled him into her bedroom, again closing the door behind them.

The storm outside was kicking up, the rain pelting against the window as the wind howled by. Aerith leaned casually against the door, her eyes casting one lingering glance to the window before settling on him. She smiled.

The room exploded with light and the house shook with a crash of thunder as a bolt hit close to them. Aerith flinched , a small cry leaving her in surprise more than fear, but it was enough for him. He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms, shielding her from the storm outside. It was a futile gesture, completely unnecessary, but he held her still.

He warmed at the press of her lips to his chest, right over his heart. Her arms wrapped around him, bringing his body closer. She traced her lips from one side of his chest to the other, paying each small patch of skin the same devotion with her lips as the last. His hands rubbed up her back. His chin rested on her head while she slowly worshipped him.

But that wasn't right. He was an ordinary man forced into extraordinary circumstances. She was simply extraordinary. If anyone deserved praise, it was her and her quiet strength that could be felt across the Planet, even when she ceased to exist among them.

His arms tightened around her at the thought of her being gone again, at the memory of those sleepless nights when he wished he could have done things differently. It had been too late then…

It would soon be too late now.

His hands came up around her face, tilting her lips up to his, pouring all his love and admiration for her into that kiss. It was soft, gentle, his lips slowly moving over hers before it deepened when she opened up to him. He didn't rush, didn't force, but focused on slowing down the kiss to draw it out as long as possible, to savor the taste of her lips, the feel of her body, the responsiveness in her reactions.

Her weight increased against his chest as her body swooned under his administrations. Easily he held her against him, supporting her without breaking their embrace. He continued kissing her intimately until her soft moans became tense with unspoken desire. Pulling back to stare down into her heavy lidded eyes, he pulled her hands up around his neck. His fingers traced back down the soft skin of her arms, making her shiver at the touch. He bent, sweeping her up off of the floor and into his arms.

Lightning flashed again, thunder roared, but neither noticed as Cloud laid her down on her bed. She removed her towel, making herself shiver and Cloud pause, before reaching up and drawing his body over hers. He followed without protest, letting his body protect her from the violent storm and the chilly night air as he communicated with her the best way he knew how…

/

They both lost track of time, but neither seemed to care. They spent the hours wrapped in each other's presence, embracing or sleeping or loving. Few words were shared, and Aerith knew Cloud was grateful. The tension left him and no dreams plagued him when he slept. He again looked like the youthful hero with the big heart and expressive eyes, his smiles coming more frequently if only for short periods at a time.

The storm eased eventually but the rain continued to tap against the window. It was the only other sound in the room save their breaths and heartbeats. Aerith closed her eyes and nuzzled his chest, loving the sound of his heart beating loud and strong against her cheek. She sighed when his hand rubbed along her arm, tracing lazy patterns on her skin. She shivered and he pulled the covers tighter around them.

A chime rang through the house, repeated over and over until the final bell struck 12. She was surprised it was midnight.

She was more surprised when Cloud stiffened and his heart began to pound in his chest. Tightening her arm around his waist, she pressed a kiss to his chest and whispered into his heated skin, "Cloud… what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." His voice was flat, mechanical. He answered without thinking.

"That's not what your body is telling me," she replied gently. He remained quiet. She grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips, softly kissing each knuckle. "Cloud-."

"I don't want you involved."

The words were so abrupt, and so cold in their delivery, it made her look up at him in surprise. He looked away after he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes. She tried to keep her voice even as she spoke. "What do you mean? Involved in what? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, I just…"

She touched his face, turning his chin and forcing him to face her. "Cloud… talk to me."

His eyes scanned her face, his jaw setting in the manner when he was unwilling to budge. But she could be as defiant as he, and she stared him down, refusing to relent. He broke first, bringing his hand up to her face and stroking the soft skin.

He moved, pushing her down into the mattress as he pressed a kiss to her lips. After a moment, he broke away and sighed. His hand ran through her hair and across her cheek, his eyes softening as he stared down at her. "Aerith… I have to go away for a while."

"Where?"

"It doesn't matter."

She stared at him, and he could see fear in her eyes. He knew in his heart she was more aware of his struggle than she gave away, and after his episode in the church, she was finding it harder to keep the mask in place. His thumb moved in circles across her cheek, attempting to soothe the fear. "Listen," he said, his voice soft and deep, "even if I go far away, I'll come back."

She looked away, something working behind her eyes. When he said her name, she looked back, her eyes staring hard into his. After a moment, she asked quietly, "Do you mean it?"

He swallowed when he couldn't hold her eyes. "Yeah."

"You don't look so sure," she whispered, and his heart ached at the pain laced in her voice.

"Do you trust me?" He looked into her eyes again. She nodded. He kissed her softly and moved back far enough to whisper against her lips, "Then smile… because everything's going to be all right."

"How can I smile when I see you suffering?"

Cloud wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. "Your smile heals me…" He pressed his lips to her ear. "You heal me."

"Cloud… it's not that easy," she denied, her voice thick.

"Yes, it is," he answered, shifting to place himself fully over her. He held her eyes before dropping his gaze to her lips and back up. He nodded and whispered, "It really is," and lowered his head to claim her lips.

He silenced any protest and prevented the discussion from going any further. Cloud loved her with near desperation, trying to again achieve the comfort she had given him in the hours before. He could not, however, banish the image of the woman in black as she appeared in his mind at midnight, her red eyes glowing and her soft voice taunting, over and over again, "12 hours left."

/

…_my honor… my dreams… they're yours now…_

…_Mom… Tifa… my town… give it back… I had so much respect for you… I admired you…_

…_so you forgot… your promise… No, I didn't…_

… _I remember… the intense heat of the flames… the pain in my body… and in my heart…_

…_only death awaits you all, but do not fear. For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me…_

… _no… I'm afraid. If this keeps up, I may go crazy…_

… _you are just a puppet. You have no heart and you cannot feel…_

… _you can't give up now, there ain't no getting off this train we on…_

_Is this what they meant, when they said your life flashed before your eyes?_ Memories surfaced, unbidden, as he blazed down the road, down his own personal train track set with one destination: the cross road. He saw himself growing up, saw Tifa from afar, saw Midgar for the first time, met Zack, met Sephiroth, went on missions…

_Modeoheim… Nibelheim… Gods, _Mom_… Tifa bleeding, Zack unconscious… Sephiroth and Masumane, so _cold_… mansion, Hojo, so _painful_… Z-Zack… AVALANCHE… Aerith… battles, war, death, murder, Meteor… _

_Aerith…_ He'd left her at dawn, curled up in her covers, warm and safe from the evils he was heading straight for. It was ironic to him, and bittersweet, how familiar that scene had been. The memory had blazed painfully in his mind, and he'd kneeled down next to the bed, so careful not to wake her. He'd touched her face once more, pressed his lips to hers, and whispered, "I'll be going now…" His throat had burned and his voice nearly disappeared. "I'll come back… when it's all over."

His jaw set and his hands tightened on Fenrir as he came up on the cross road. He didn't know what was going to happen, but damn it, he wasn't going to give up on the hope of making it back. After everything he'd been through… how bad could this be?

He parked Fenrir and opened the compartments for his swords, quickly piecing them together to form his devastating Fusion Sword. He sealed the compartments and stepped away from his bike to the center of the road… and waited.

He tried not to think about what was coming. He tried not to picture all of his nightmares coming true at once. He tried to ignore the feel of hot breath on his neck and claws teasing his flesh.

…s_he was smiling till the end._

Cloud took a breath as his own words bounced around in his head, and he remembered Aerith's smile. From the moment he'd met her to the moment she was lost beneath the lake, she was always smiling… even when she knew her fate. Where did she find that strength?

A chill ran through him. Reflexively, he looked at his phone, the numbers flashing 12:00pm. Noon. One year later.

Time was up.

"Aren't you a sweetheart?"

Cloud turned, not surprised to find the woman in black standing behind him.

"I always have to hunt people down when their number is up. Not that I don't enjoy the thrill of the chase… but I appreciate the courtesy."

Cloud ignored her remarks. "So what happens now?"

She shook her head and _tsked_ at him. "Always down to business. Do you ever allow yourself a little fun?" She laughed. "Oh, wait, I forgot how you spent your last twenty four hours. A little tame by my standards, but no less entertaining to watch."

He refused to rise to the occasion, forcing himself to take a steady breath. He simply waited with a bored expression. The demon chuckled softly.

"So stoic. The unmovable rock in a sea of fear and death. You will be the perfect little toy soldier. But," she walked forward and placed her hand on the cool blade of his sword, "you have to let go."

"Of what?"

"Your life."

His eyes narrowed.

"Give it up and this will be less difficult for you… though no less painful."

"I already gave up-."

"Your soul, yes," she nodded. "But I can't take it while you're still breathing… can I?"

Cloud tensed when he heard the rustle in the flower fields and red glowing eyes began to populate the roads around him. He spun at the first growl behind him, his breathing becoming erratic at the sight of the gruesome beast, now multiplying into a dozen hell hounds stalking for the kill.

"Let go, Cloud, fighting will only make it worse."

…_if this is all a dream… Please, Gods, wake me up..._

"Silly Savior. No gods will be helping you anymore."

They lunged, two at first, easily cut down with a smooth slice of his hand. He moved quickly, breaking his sword down to wield two sharp blades against the army of darkness around him. He was succeeding, slowly cutting them down one by one.

Then the first blow landed.

It nearly knocked him down, but he struggled to stay upright, slashing away another monster before the claws raked down his back. He fell forward with a cry, blood splattering before him on the ground as he swung blindly to the right and hitting his mark with deadly accuracy. Teeth dug into his left arm, then into his leg, and they began to pull.

His world exploded in pain, his body becoming drenched with heat from his pulsing blood. His scream filled his ears as his Fusion Sword clattered somewhere far away. He closed his eyes so he couldn't see the gnashing teeth or the sick smile of the demon as she collected her prize.

_Aerith… for the both us… live._ Her smile was the last thing he saw before he faded into unconsciousness…

… and the real terror began.

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been following along! Sorry if this seemed slow, but I wanted to rely less on dialogue than usual. I hope it worked to bring out a bit more in the scenes between Cloud and Aerith. _

_I also hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have an awesome New Year (in case I don't get the next chapter up in time.)!_


	5. This Wasn't the First Time

_Chapter 5: This Wasn't the First Time_

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has favorite-ed, followed, or reviewed this story! A special thanks to Skiestrife for your uplifting encouragement, and to 0utfoxed for your awesome compliment and your explanation on the differences between "blond" and "blonde." I had NO idea there was ever a difference, I just thought "blonde" was old English or something. Thanks for the pointer!

… _cold night air…_

… _smoke in the sky…_

… _the sword, long, heavy, dripping…_

… _the tears, fresh, hot, salty…_

… _the hum of equipment…_

… _the clack of feet, running, climbing…_

… _sadness, anger, fear…_

… _PAIN…_

… _falling, tumbling, hurting…_

… _silence… stillness… pain…_

_When I am in danger, you will come… didn't you promise me that… Cloud…_

_Moving. Warmth. Comfort. Love._

"Tifa..."

_Cloud._

"Tifa."

She opened her eyes. The Nibelheim rector came into focus around her. Red lights, metal everywhere, the sounds of electricity, the occasional clunk and grind of the metal above… and the smell of the Mako, so strong…

"Cloud?"

It was wrong. He was supposed to be there, smiling softly, apologizing for being late, but he wasn't. Her fingers twitched against the metal grating. She gripped it, feeling the cold steel. She looked down; surprised to see her dressed as she had been when she fell asleep.

_Wait…_

She was dreaming again… but this memory felt wrong… and so real.

"Tifa."

Her head whipped to the side and her mouth went dry. "Zack?"

He looked the same as the day her life fell apart. Same outfit, same spiky black hair, if not styled different, same glowing eyes. But he did not smile, not like she remembered. He stood at the base of the stairs and watched her.

She carefully rose to her feet and took a step towards him. "Zack?"

"You have to remember."

She paused. "Remember what?"

"You have to help him. He's dying."

Tifa's breath caught. "Cloud?"

Zack's tone became more urgent. "You have to remember us, all of us. You both do, before he's lost."

"Where is he, Zack?" Tifa demanded, reaching out to him. "Where's Cloud?"

"Tifa-." The reactor shook, knocking Tifa forward off her feet. Zack caught her, Tifa's eyes widening at the taut, warm muscle beneath her fingers, before she was pulled behind him. "You have to go, now!"

"Why?!"

"Tifa, run!" She was shoved away and she watched the young SOLDIER sprint up the stairs. Sword in hand and ready to attack, he charged the darkness that slowly saturated the room. Something about it struck fear in her heart, and she turned, running down the stairs and out of the reactor, her mind starting to fragment into shards of terror as something seemed to possess her mind and slowly drive her insane-

She screamed as she tumbled from the chair to the floor when the world titled to the right. Her breath was heaving, tears streamed down her. She steadied herself on all fours before she looked around.

The sunlight was moving across the floor as the world tilted back upright. Through the window, she could see the cloud cover below and the sun off in the distance. The Highwind was still flying over the Northern Continent.

Its next destination: the Forgotten City.

Running a hand over her face, Tifa collapsed back against the chair. She took several deep breaths as she tried to calm her heart… and her thoughts. Sleep had been difficult for all of them… but that dream…

"Are you all right?"

Her head lifted and she caught the concerned and exhausted eyes of Aerith. "Yeah," she answered after a moment. She gave an embarrassed smile, weak but still visible. "I fell out of the chair."

Aerith gave a small smile in return before kneeling next to her. "Were you dreaming?"

She remained still for a moment before nodding. "About Nibelheim."

Aerith covered Tifa's hand with her own. Her voice seemed to catch when she spoke. "Do you… want to talk about it?"

Tifa bit her cheek then shook her head. "I'm going to try and get some more sleep before we land." The young Cetra nodded before standing and quietly leaving the small sitting area. "Maybe you should do the same," she called out softly. Aerith stopped for a moment before closing the door after her.

Tifa sighed and put her head in her hands. She wanted to ask Aerith about her dream, but feared bringing up Zack would only put the flower girl in a worse state. As if she didn't already suffer from enough guilt…

Three months. Three damned by the gods months. It was the Turks who found Fenrir while flying around the Midgar area. The bike had been mangled, the metal in ribbons, and covered by wildflowers near some crossroad.

It was Reno who found… and then Barrett…

"_Tifa, you can't see him."_

"_Get out of my way, Barrett, I have to-."_

"_No, you can't-."_

"_Let me go!"_

"_Damn it, Tifa, there's nothing left…"_

She couldn't really remember those first few days. Everything was automatic, and one long, dark blur. Marlene and Denzel, they'd sat with her and tried to hide their tears… and she continued to work at the bar like nothing had happened, because nothing could have happened, not to the hero, the hero who never loses, the hero who never dies…

_You saved me when I was in trouble, Cloud, why didn't you let us do the same?_

Tifa swiped at the fresh tears and looked again out the window. Funny, it had happened just like this, hadn't it? Standing at the bar, looking out the window…. And realizing Cloud was never coming back.

She'd broken every bottle in the joint.

She'd started on the tables when she saw Barrett standing in the doorway. The look in his eyes told her he'd been there the whole time. Neither spoke as she kicked a stool clean through the wall.

Eventually her body gave out and she sank to the floor in the piles of broken glass and splintered wood. It was then he'd told her about Aerith's voices and her sudden need to go to the Forgotten City. The answers were there, she'd promised. Tifa wasn't surprised when Barrett told her Aerith had started to walk on her own when no one contacted Cid fast enough. That crazy little broad, she'd probably have walked the whole way, Tifa mused.

Guilt could do that to you.

The world tilted again and the young fighter realized they were beginning to descend. They must be close. Pulling herself up from the floor, she shook out her hair and walked towards the cockpit to join the others: Cid, Barrett, Yuffie, Nanaki, Cait Sith with Reeve reporting to the Turks as they did their own investigating from Midgar… and Aerith.

All together again, just like old times. Along the way, she repeated over and over that this wasn't Aerith's fault. It really wasn't.

Some day… she might believe it.

/

It was the same as before. Cold. Dreary. Silent. The place gave her chills. She could only imagine what it was doing to Aerith.

The Ancient didn't seem phased, however. She walked through the city as if no bad memories haunted her, her steps focused and determined as she climbed the stairs to the altar without hesitation. No one spoke when she kneeled down, clasped her hands, and prayed.

Tifa looked over at the others. All were quiet, but they all thought the same thing: the shadow, the sword, the squish of steel through skin…

Tifa averted her eyes to the sky, expecting to see silver hair and insane green eyes, but found herself entranced by the light shining down from above. It seemed so warm and inviting, unlike the darkness that had tried to eat her whole.

That darkness… it touched her mind… it seemed alive… it seemed familiar…

"_You have to remember…"_

Tifa frowned and closed her eyes, Zack's voice dancing in her memory. Remember what?

Something flashed in her mind, a snapshot of a world she recognized but didn't, faces she knew but couldn't place, pain and happiness that was vivid and distant all at once. She felt dizzy and shook her head. Her eyes looked once again at Aerith and she suddenly became nauseous.

A shadow stood behind her, tall and silent. Its hand reached out for Aerith, and Tifa raced forward, heart pounding, fists ready to strike out before her friend was torn from them once again…

She crossed over into the beam of light and her body tingled with electricity and fire. Aerith looked up at her in surprise but no sound escaped her as she caught sight of the darkness hovering near her. Her hand reached up to the shadow when Tifa punched out.

Everything froze.

White space filled the air around them and the shadow melted away into the familiar form of Zack. Aerith was still kneeling but her eyes were open and glazed. Tifa looked at Zack, her head moving as if through sand, and she could see him speaking. It took years for the words to reach her, each sound ringing loudly in her ears when she acknowledged them.

"Remember us." And she did…

_The whiteness wrapped around her like a blanket and she fell backwards into it, embracing it. She was falling softly, and it was nice. Comforting. Welcoming…_

…forgive me…

_Cloud? She heard his voice… no, it wasn't his voice… but it was him… She opened her eyes and he was there, gray hair tamed under a dark bandana, holding Aerith in his arms and crying. _

…forgive me, Rachel_…_

_The world shimmered and her heart pounded as she watched herself reach out to him, wrap herself around him, protect him in her thin arms and flowing blonde hair as Zack, no Sabin, looked on. _

…it wasn't your fault, Locke_…_

_The pictures melted away and she found herself falling through a ballroom under a brilliant night sky with fireworks. Her hand was caught and she was spun around, her dark hair flowing, her voice ringing out in laughter, as Cloud spun her around, his short chestnut hair falling perfectly into place over sky blue eyes… and the fireworks burst anew and everything was perfect for her and that handsome young man nicknamed Squall…_

_The world shifted again. Tifa saw herself with light brown hair and a large sword laughing at Zack while he bumbled around in a ridiculous looking suit of armor… and Aerith was running in a white dress, her raven locks flowing behind her as she jumped into Cloud's arms, his blond tail flicking around them while she pounded angrily on his chest..._

_Water surrounded her, tears streamed down her face, and Cloud was there, watching her with wide eyes and a soft smile. He called her name and she looked up, stifling her sobs as he moved to steal her lips in a kiss. She didn't know what to do or what to feel, but soon stopped caring as she pressed into his embrace. They were falling, she was falling with him, with Tidus…_

_Now a city high in the clouds, a battle raging upon a castle, and Zack was riding upon a chocobo, his silver armor glistening in the light as he charged an army. Tifa's heart raced as fear filled her heart, and the name Basch echoed in her mind as she fell farther and farther away..._

_How was this possible? What was going on? _

Look back instead of forward, _Tifa heard Zack whisper. She felt warmth nearby, and realized Aerith and Zack were close… but how did she know that?_

_The white began to dim, and shadows began to form. Her blood ran cold as something familiar was coming closer, something she remembered but didn't… something she couldn't run from because she was meant to meet it head first. The world around her turned to ice and fire, darkness and pain, and the voice rang out in her mind… a voice she had forgotten long ago…_

…Do you remember me? I was once a knight of Cornelia… two thousand years in the future I was slain by you_… _

…_Garland?..._

… you defeated me then… but the four great forces cast me back through time… once here, I sent the four fiends into the future… it will be them that harness the great forces to send me safely into the past… in two thousand years I shall know none of this… But I will be reborn here again… so even as you die, over and over, I shall always return…

_Chaos…_

_But we defeated him… the four warriors of the light… _

And still he returns_, Zack's voice rang out in the darkness._

_The memories stopped and the world was still as Tifa turned and looked at Zack and Aerith. She glowed green, he glowed red, and when Tifa looked down, she realized she was glowing blue. She knew there was supposed to be a fourth, adorned in white. Four crystals… four warriors… four souls, eternally tied together to battle the evil that destroys worlds…_

_Zack's voice filled her head. _Cloud is the fourth.

I remember_, Tifa answered. _

_Aerith's voice whispered to them, _Why is he not here?

He's been taken_, Zack answered, _by the demon that started this.

Chaos_, Aerith murmured. _

The demon inside Vincent? _Tifa asked._

No,_ Zack said. _Chaos has grown in power, much more so than when we fought him, but he is restricted to the underworld. The demon in Vincent has taken his name out of respect for his master.

If Chaos is trapped in the underworld…_ Tifa began._

That's where Cloud is being held_, Zack nodded with weariness. _He's dying. His soul is dying. If he is lost, he won't be reborn, and the futures you have seen won't exist because Chaos will change everything.

Can't you help him?_ Aerith asked._

I have not fallen to darkness. I have no place in the underworld.

Neither does Cloud,_ Tifa argued._

He did it for me… didn't he?

_Both looked at Aerith, and Zack nodded. _In this lifetime… it was for you.

_Tifa felt a chill at his words. _In this lifetime…

He's always tried to capture us,_ Zack said, _and he's always lost. Until now. He figured out a way… and I didn't know until it was too late.

And I lost my memories when I was revived_, Aerith whispered._

Don't,_ Zack murmured. _Neither of us knew, and we can only do so much from beyond…

You reached us,_ Tifa offered._

Because Aerith is an Ancient in this lifetime… and the Planet has been very kind to its heroes. Even so, I can't stay much longer.

What do we have to do?_ Aerith asked, her voice laced with determination._

Find Vincent… and be safe. I can't help you anymore than this.

_Tifa felt a pang at the sadness in his voice. She reached a hand out to him and whispered, _I wish we were better friends this time around.

_Zack smiled and turned to Aerith. She embraced him. _Thank you.

I miss you all_, he whispered. _And I better be missing you for a long time.

_He waved… then the floor was gone, and Aerith and Tifa were falling back once again to be swallowed up by the expanding light that was so comforting… _

Sight, sound, and touch came back with alarming force, knocking both females from their frozen positions at the altar. They were laying there, panting and shaking, when the others seemed to come alive and sprint to them. Cid and Yuffie helped Aerith to sit up while Barrett and Nanaki questioned Tifa. She held her hand up to her insistent friends, struggling to get her voice to work again.

"What the hell happened?!" Barrett demanded. "You attacked thin air then turned into statues and fell over like you both dropped dead!"

"Memories," Tifa stuttered out, her voice sounding as drained as her body. "Gods, Barrett, so many memories."

"Of what?"

"Us."

"What do you mean?" Nanaki asked.

"Connected," Aerith answered. "We're connected, all of us. Tifa, myself, Cloud…" Her head bowed. "Zack…We've always been connected, to defeat the darkness. But now," she looked up again, "the darkness is fighting back."

"Creepy," Yuffie whispered to Cid.

"What are you saying, Aerith?" Cid demanded. "Is Sephiroth behind this?"

"This is older than Sephiroth," Tifa said. "And much worse."

"What could be worse than Sephiroth?!" Cait Sith exclaimed.

Tifa shook her head. "First we need Vincent." She looked at Aerith and nodded. "Then we'll explain everything."

_A/N: Wow, that was incredibly difficult to write. For those of you who are like me and haven't really dabbled in anything other than FF7, I've pulled storylines from the original Final Fantasy, FF6, FF8, FF9, FF10, and FF12 for this chapter. I was going to try and tie in all of the FF games… but that task was much too daunting for someone who's only played 7 and the very beginning of 10. It's not necessary to know all about the other storylines as this is just a backstory for Cloud's demise, so don't feel obligated to go play the games now._

_I think I took a risk trying to tie in the other games, so I hope this didn't come out as disconnected and confusing as I'm sure it could have. Thank you all ahead of time for your support with this story!_


	6. Abandon All Hope

Chapter 6: Abandon All Hope

"So where do we start looking for a Turk who doesn't want to be found?" Barrett asked after the group settled into one of the abandoned homes in the Forgotten City.

"Why don't you call him?" Yuffie asked.

Everyone looked at her. "Because he doesn't carry a phone," Tifa said.

"What?! Everyone has a phone! What Turk _doesn't_ have a phone?!"

"One whose trying to avoid you, materia thief."

All eyes looked up towards the ceiling at the soft, grave voice. Crouching on a rafter, Vincent looked down from over his red cape, dark eyes glinting in the low light of the room. He sat calmly as Yuffie shook a fist at him.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means stop stalking him like you do everyone else," Nanaki purred.

"I do not stalk!"

"No, you just lie, cheat, steal-," Cid grumbled.

"Vincent," Tifa spoke up as Yuffie lunged at Cid, ignoring the ensuing brawl. "When… how… did you know-?"

"I was called here," he answered softly. "I did not know you would be here… but I am not surprised." He jumped down from the rafter and looked at Aerith. He paused, a strange glow in his eyes as he watched her.

"Hello, Vincent," she said. "It's good to see you again."

The young man sighed and looked away. "I wish I could say the same, Cetra, but not under these conditions."

"You heard about Cloud," Nanaki said.

"I heard whisperings, but only now believe what I'd hoped was a lie."

"What do you mean?" Aerith asked.

Vincent stared at her. "Why were you looking for me?"

"We need your help to save Cloud from the Underworld."

He was quiet for a moment before he answered, "You can't save the damned."

Tifa spoke up. "He's in trouble, Vincent, we have to-wait, what?"

"He sold his soul to a demon, who now owns him. You do not have the power to break such a contract."

The room went silent, all mouths dropped in shock. Suddenly, Yuffie's voice burst out, "That's how he brought Aerith back!" Cid and Barrett both thrust a hand out to cover her mouth.

"Did you not know this?" Vincent inquired, focusing on Aerith who had paled. Slowly, she sank into a chair next to her.

"How do _you_ know this?" Tifa asked, her voice tight.

Vincent tapped his head. "I'm not alone up here, remember? I thought it was a trick of my… companions… but if you're searching…"

"It was a trick," Aerith said, bitterness making her words cold. "He was tricked by Chaos, and now we have to save him, or everything, _everything_, is lost."

Vincent stiffened at her words. "Explain," he demanded softly.

The group listened quietly as Aerith and Tifa told of their encounter with Zack, and of the beginning of Chaos. They answered questions as best they could, but found their memories of their future selves quickly deteriorating. Even the memory of the battle with Chaos was fading, yet the fear they felt could not be forgotten.

Vincent stood quietly, his body now leaning casually against the smooth surface of the seashell home. When the women finished speaking they turned to him, expectant looks on their faces. He closed his eyes when he felt the push again, deep inside, the drive that brought him to this place. It would be a useless battle to resist, he knew, but it didn't cool the anger building at being played like a puppet.

Damn Hojo and Shin-Ra and all the rest who cursed him.

"Vincent?"

He looked at Aerith when she spoke, her body leaning forward slightly in anticipation of the answer she wanted to hear… that they all wanted to hear. With a sigh, he spoke. "I can't help you." He shook his head as her face fell. "But I know who can. Follow me."

Swiftly he moved outside of the house, turning to face the group as they formed a half circle around him. Aerith and Tifa stepped close and he raised his hand. "Stand back." Vincent closed his eyes and let his body relax; let the pressure inside release until he felt the blackness ooze up into his mind.

_Do not harm them,_ he warned.

_Don't you trust me?_

_ Never._

He felt his body move without his volition as a deep rumble echoed in his mind. The laughter faded and Vincent drifted, watching, waiting.

* * *

Aerith shared a nervous glance with Tifa as Vincent stood like a statue, barely breathing. She opened her mouth to speak when Vincent laughed, soft and low. It sent a chill down her spine. His arms moved, swinging slightly, and his fingers danced as if learning each movement for the first time. Then his head lifted and he opened his eyes.

"Oh, shit," Cid swore under his breath.

"Vincent?" Tifa asked.

He shook his head, a soft smile stretching his face in a look that seemed wrong… "I am the leader of the pack in this confinement," Vincent answered, his voice his own and yet not. "We have met before," he said, looking down at his hands, "but not in this form. This is much more… free."

"Chaos?" Aerith said.

Vincent looked at her, his now golden eyes blazing with amused curiosity. "Yes, Aerith." His smile spread to bear sharpened teeth. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?" He laughed again when Barrett stepped forward to block her behind his massive arm. "You creatures are so sensitive. Perhaps it is what makes you so delicious to eat?"

"Enough of this crap," Cid snapped. "What the hell do you know about Cloud?"

The possessed man hummed. "I know many things about your dear friend. We all do. He's quite the popular guy down there. We just can't seem to keep our hands off of him." He gave Aerith a dark grin. "You know what I mean."

Barrett rushed up to Vincent, grabbing him by the front of his cape and lifting him into the air. "You better watch your mouth or I'll-!"

"You'll what, human?" Vincent placed his hand around Barrett's wrist and squeezed, making the renegade cry out and release him. Vincent's hand lashed out to seize Barrett's throat. "You aren't strong enough to stop me from doing whatever I please." He lifted the larger man shoving him away and hurling him several feet through the air before he hit the ground hard.

"No!" Tifa ran over to her fallen companion.

Vincent hissed, and Aerith looked back at the possessed man. His face was a grimace, his body moving as if to ease a pain in his back, and then he chuckled softly. "Ah, you do know what I like, my gracious host," he murmured to himself. "But I'm not done with them yet." His eyes moved onto Aerith's once more.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"What every demon wants: freedom. And you're going to get it for me."

"How?"

"By competing." He stepped closer to her, his eyes raking over her body as he walked around her. "If you want something bad enough, you'll fight for it… right? You did hand over your life for the Planet."

Aerith shook her head. "I don't understand, fight for what?"

"Your heart's desire." He chuckled at her confusion. "There is a place where humans go to win their dreams… if you want to save your Cloud, I will take you there."

"No, don't Aerith." Nanaki stood beside the flower girl, his voice strong as he stared up at the demon without fear. "Cloud died trusting a demon, now the same could happen to you."

"There is no deal here," Vincent said, "just an opportunity for all of us to get what we want." His smile faded. "But you cannot get there without me."

"So we'll have to trust you anyway," Cid remarked dryly. "That's a load of-."

"I'll do it."

"Aerith, wait," Barrett yelled as he and Tifa came back to the group. "There's no reason for us to believe this bastard, you're only gonna get yourself hurt!"

"Cloud would have done it." She turned to look at all of them. "If it were any of us, he'd agree."

"That's what started this in the first place," Yuffie muttered. She yelped when Nanaki bit her ankle.

"Aerith's right," Tifa said. "Cloud would have done the same thing. We can't leave him there."

"And Zack told us to find Vincent. He knew this was the only way." She looked back at the possessed man beside her. "So… let's mosey."

* * *

After a day of travel from the Forgotten City, the warriors were surprised to find themselves landing the _Shera_ near the mountain range of North Corel. They set off on foot and wound through one of the mountains overlooking the Gold Saucer when they came upon a small cave. Inside, stairs led down a darkened passage lit only by firelight. Beyond, echoes of voices could be heard, alternating between laughing, cheering, and screaming.

Aerith shivered as the whispers of the Planet stopped abruptly when she began descending the stairs. It was so sudden it made her pause, her ears almost hurting from the sudden silence. She felt eyes on her and she turned to look at Vincent, still controlled by Chaos, the glowing golden eyes making her want to cringe from the penetrating stare. He said nothing, only smiled that sickening grin which implied he knew something she didn't. It was beginning to get on her nerves when he turned and continued down into the darkness.

As the group came closer, the noise began to pick up. Sounds became distinct as Aerith recognized swords clashing, fists pounding on tables, the sharp ping of metal as a shield deflected a blow. The cheering of spectators was mixed with male and female voices, laced with roaring laughs and vicious heckling.

When they reached the base of the stairs, they looked up at giant doors covered by a great awning of stone carved out into a grotesque scene of men in battle with horrid beasts. Both door were shut, and looked much too heavy to open. No one stood around the entrance. Aerith looked at Vincent.

"How do we get in?"

Vincent stepped forward and placed his hand on the smooth surface of the left door. Red light glowed from his hand and seeped into multiple lines crisscrossing into a pattern of five symbols on the door. They glowed fiercely before extinguishing with a wisp of smoke, and the door opened enough to allow one person to pass through at a time.

With a sweep of his arm, Vincent gestured for Aerith to enter. She took a breath and stepped forward, when Yuffie grabbed her arm. She looked down at the young ninja.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Yuffie whispered.

"That's the first smart thing you've said… ever," Cid huffed.

Aerith grabbed Yuffie's shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze when the Wutanian didn't even acknowledge Cid's barb. "We're going to be fine. We've been through worse, haven't we? And the Planet has always come through for her heroes."

"I don't want you to die."

The confession brought Aerith up short, and the silence from the group made her look at all of them. Her heart skipped when they each had a similar look on their faces… even Tifa. Aerith turned back to Yuffie and ruffled her hair. "I'm not going to die this time. No one is. I promise." She encouraged a sad smile from the ninja before stepping through the door.

There was a long corridor, eerily silent for all the noise that could be heard before, but no one said anything about it. At the end was a bend to the right and a gradual incline. At the top, Aerith caught her breath.

The world exploded with noise.

As if a barrier had been broken, the massive arena beneath them came to life with sounds, smells, and flashes of light and fire. Thousands of creatures moved around in the stands, undulating with the action in the center of the ring. Three men, standing back to back, fought off multiple two headed beasts that spat fire and ice.

"Let's go," Vincent's voice suddenly broke in, and Aerith looked up to see the golden eyed man descending the stairs towards the bottom of the stands. The flower girl followed, her eyes darting between the rowdy spectators and the men fighting for their lives. They came to the bottom when a tall man with the head of a wolf stood by a gate. Vincent nodded to him and whispered something to the eight foot tall hybrid before the creature pointed to the right.

Aerith followed his arm and looked over to a long bench where men and women sat waiting, arms gripping various weapons and bodies poised at the ready to enter the ring. Aerith jumped when a voice whispered in her ear, "Wait your turn."

She spun on Vincent, no Chaos, as he leered down at her. "What are we doing here?"

"Sit, and watch."

A roar went up through the arena and she turned to see the last beast fall, but not before it caught one of the two remaining warriors in a ball of fire that turned him into a charred skeleton. Aerith turned away, trying to block the image from her mind, but the sickness in her stomach wouldn't leave. A voice boomed out over the arena, and Aerith looked up again.

"Your victor, Aaker!" The bald man at the center of the ring gestured to the panting and bleeding soldier as he raised his sword to the crowd. They cheered and the soldier stood, slowly turning to take it all in. The smile on his face could be seen from a mile away. He looked invincible.

"Ah… pride," Vincent purred. Aerith gave him a side glance, frowning at his words and the look of anticipation on his face.

"Aaker, your dream to be the wealthiest land owner in Mideel is yours when you leave, now that you have bested your competition and your enemies!" the host of the event said. "But you've already come this far, and you've performed so well… would you care to raise the stakes?"

The crowd cheered and Aaker turned to look at bald man, the grin still plastered on his face. "What are you offering?"

The stands came alive with more shouts and cheers as Aaker took the bait. "Why stop at Mideel?" the host enticed. "That is a small island compared to the Eastern Continent."

"What is he talking about?" Barrett demanded over the roar of the crowd.

"The prize for winning the next round," Vincent explained. "It's not that hard to understand… or are you just slow?"

Barrett shot the golden eyed man a death glare, who paid no mind.

"Just think of the fame, the power, the women!" the host rallied gleefully, and the crowd played beautifully to his encouragement. "Could there be a more fulfilling wish out there?"

Aaker tapped his finger against his mouth. "Wow, that does sound good…"

Tifa turned away from the scene and asked Vincent, "Wait, these people are competing for wishes?"

Vincent nodded. "If they win, they get their wish. If they lose, they die… and lose their soul."

"Why would anyone do that?" Aerith whispered.

"Why did Cloud?" Vincent asked. "Why are you here?"

Aerith said nothing. Tifa cut in, "But Cloud didn't come here… did he?"

"Cloud made a traditional deal… mostly. In the old days, demons made deals that would grant a wish before collecting the human's soul ten years later. Some demons still do that, but when humans started to catch on, we needed to… sweeten the pot. Enter the arena. Humans can fight for their wish, and if they win, they can walk away with their dreams and their souls. If they lose, the demon who brought them here can collect the soul without having to wait ten years for dessert." He looked at Tifa. "It's become quite a thing with you humans, this instant gratification you so enjoy. Now demons are enjoying it, too."

"I accept!" Aaker shouted, and the spectators jumped to their feet and cheered.

"Excellent choice! And now the conditions of the fight!" The host looked up to a stone balcony shrouded in darkness. He bowed and waited until a bat flew down and dropped a paper into the host's pale hand. He unraveled the sheet and turned with a wide smile to the contender. "And luck is on your side! This time, you face only one opponent… and no handicap against you!"

"Yeah!" Aaker jumped in the air, pumping his fist in excitement. "I've got this!"

"We hope you do," the host smiled before backing away. "You'll need it." He disappeared in a wisp of smoke, the crowd screaming in anticipation and excitement, as his voice boomed, "You're next opponent…"

To the right a door was raised, its chains creaking as it lifted the heavy wood. All eyes turned to the dark doorway where a small winged creature walked out. Aerith wondered at the strange blue and red garments adorned on the beast… until her breath froze in her chest. She felt light-headed as her heart pounded and two hands gripped her on either side as everyone caught on at the same moment.

No beast walked out into the arena. Only a man with one wing… and a massive sword strapped to his back.

"…the demon warrior, Cloud Strife!"

_A/N: Hi all! Sorry for not getting this out yesterday, I had an 80 hour workweek, and had to work yesterday too! Ugh! But I managed to get my muse on track today, so you can expect the next chapter to be out by Saturday the 1__st__, I think it is? I won't be able to upload on that Sunday, so the chapter will be up Saturday. In my mind, there're two more chapters to go, and I just got hit with a new idea for a one shot Clerith! Hope to have it up in time for V-Day, so keep your fingers crossed. Thanks for everyone's support and encouragement on this fic, you guys are the best!_

_Happy MLK Day! _


	7. Darkness Falls

Chapter 7: Darkness Falls

_No. _

_ No… this isn't happening._

But it was, right before her eyes. The roaring crowds were lost in the pounding of her heart, and everything moved slowly, so slowly, but not slow enough. It was too fast for her to comprehend, too much for her mind to absorb, and Aerith felt herself leaning forward on the railing that separated her from the ring. All her weight came down on her wrists, her delicate fingers gripping the metal so hard it might crack, the coldness the only thing grounding her to the reality that played out before her.

He walked calmly to the center of the ring. From this distance, his eyes were hidden by the limp blond bangs. He appeared stoic to the pulsing energy around him. His arms remained at his sides; the sword, no longer his Fusion but one resembling the Buster, was un-touched on his back. His back… Aerith swallowed as her green eyes traced the dark limb flexing behind him. Its movements were smooth, in sync with his breathing, and looked to be so naturally a part of him.

It was all so wrong.

_Cloud… what have they done to you?_

* * *

"It's a trick, it has to be." Tifa didn't need to look up at Barrett as he spoke. Her mind quickly wondered the same thing; if this strange creature before them truly was a trick to confuse its opponents. If so, it was working. Even from afar, Tifa could see the shocked expression on the other man's face. He shook his head, confusion being quickly replaced by determination as he dropped into an aggressive stance. Over the cheers of the crowd, she somehow was still able to hear his words.

"I don't care if you are the man who saved the world, you're not going to best me. Get ready!"

Cloud remained still.

Aaker charged.

His sword swooped in an arc to cut his opponent in half. The blade met air, his target landing softly on the ground behind him. Aaker swung backwards, spinning and slicing. Cloud seized his forearm and twisted. It snapped upwards, forcing shards of bone through the skin in a mist of blood. His hand went limp and the sword fell into Cloud's open palm. Aaker collapsed to a knee, cradling his broken arm. He looked up and shouted in fear as the sword came down.

The crowd cheered.

Aaker fell back, his reflexes enough to avoid a killing blow but too slow to avoid the two foot gash down his chest. He scrambled away, kicking up dirt with his shuffling feet and one usable hand. His eyes darted between the blood flowing from his split skin and the slow approach of his executioner. Aaker looked wildly behind him for something he could use, spotting a shield and blood crusted spear to his left. He rolled and quickly got to his feet but stumbled in pain from his gushing wound. Fire suddenly burst through his legs. Aaker collapsed with a scream.

He looked back, staring in horror at the blood spilling from his sliced ankles. His calf muscles were bulging near the back of his kneecaps, and he could not move his feet. Still approaching, step by agonizing step, Cloud followed as Aaker dragged himself away with one hand.

"Please, please, take it back!" he pleaded, and the crowd booed at his poor showmanship. "Please don't kill me!"

Cloud brought his foot down on his back, crunching the base of his spine into the blood covered ground. Aaker's chest lifted as his back bowed, his head thrown up in anguish. His scream was lost in the cheer of the crowd. With a swift flick of his arm, Cloud brought the bloody sword through Aaker's neck, severing the head with enough force to send it rolling several feet away. Bright red blood spurted high into the air, raining down on the twitching body and back onto the passive victor.

The crowd went mad. "Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!"

Cloud turned to the door he had exited. The sword fell to the ground. Silently, he walked away. He paid no heed to the call of the crowd, or the threats of those waiting to fight. He noticed nothing… or didn't care. Still, his name rang through the arena.

_"Cloud!"_

The arena stilled at the single voice that reached over all others. She ignored everything, ignored the shocked stare of her friends and the cruel grins of the spectators as they watched the drama play out. She didn't care at all, she just needed to reach him, Shiva, let her reach him! No one held her back as she leapt over the railing and into the arena, barely missing Barrett's strong hand when he lunged for her, shouting, "Tifa!"

She sprinted to him when her feet touched the ground. He'd stopped walking and stood with his back to her, the bat-like wing twitching every so often. She called out to him, slowing as she came closer. She saw the tension in his shoulders and the blood dripping from his sword wielding hand, filling her with dread. "Cloud?" She circled around to the front of him.

Beneath his bangs, blood red eyes stared straight through her.

Tifa stepped back in shock, his name falling again from her lips in a horrified whisper. "Oh, Gods, Cloud!" She moved into him, her hands wrapping around his chin. "Cloud, can you hear me?" She tried not to cringe under the empty eyes boring into her, stroking his face instead and trying to coax some semblance of her friend back to her. "Cloud, it's Tifa; please, say something." His head moved under her gentle touch, and she held her breath. He leaned back and swung, backhanding her into the air. She smashed into the wall of the arena and crumbled. Distantly, she heard her name, and when she looked up, a hazy Cloud was walking away. Black spots danced around her vision and her head throbbed. She brought her hand up and was surprised to feel her cheek was wet and sticky. Then concerned faces filled her vision before the pounding in her head lulled her into an inky blackness.

/

"Tifa!" All but Vincent and Aerith jumped into the arena and rushed to their fallen friend while the room exploded with angry noise. The possessed man and the flower girl watched Cloud stand at the closed door and wait for admittance. Tifa was cradled by Barrett and her body went limp into unconsciousness. Aerith continued to grip the railing, her face pale with shock at the gruesome display and the cruel reception to Tifa's calling.

At the center of the ring, the body of Aaker was being removed while the bald demonic human stared at the collection of warriors kneeling in the ring. His chin rested thoughtfully in his hand as he watched them. Something was working behind his eyes, something that seemed to click when he looked into the crowd directly at Vincent. He stood a little taller, his head tilting slightly to the right. The penetrating gaze shifted to Aerith, and a wolfish smile split his face. He looked back to the balcony of darkness and waited. A moment later, he gave a nod. Turning back to the crowd, he raised his hands, and the wild cries of the people ceased immediately.

"Demons, warriors, and beasts… your attention please." He gestured to the members of AVALANCHE, still sitting around their injured friend. "We have special guests attending today. Would you like to meet them?" He snapped his fingers. In a flash of red, Aerith and Tifa were standing beside him. Aerith reached out to her unconscious companion, but remained standing by some possessive force. Her vision was suddenly blocked by the bald demon, his white blue eyes bright with maliciousness. "Ten free souls to the monster who can recall the sickening smell of these two humans!"

The crowd leaned forward as if as one, silent and focused, all of them seeming to inhale at once. Aerith looked around. She felt like she had become the most desired meat in the world. She saw herself being ripped to shreds and devoured, her friends quickly following as dessert. The stream of bloody images was quickly broken as the demonic host spoke to her once again. He bent over her and inhaled close to her hair, making her cringe. "Disgusting indeed," he whispered hotly into her ear.

Aerith refused to flinch, staring fiercely into his eyes. She became so focused on the creature before her she failed to realize the monster that had come up behind her until she felt ice move through her body. It breathed on the back of her neck, chilling her bones… and her soul. Something familiar… something dangerous… something she hadn't experienced in centuries… She turned.

All of the light seemed to be absorbed into the darkness hovering around her. From deep inside the shroud, two blue lights glowed, icy and frightening. She could see nothing else, but her mind crawled with images of jagged teeth and spiked skin, wings that beat furiously and claws that peeled flesh from humans writhing in pain. It terrified her, sending her heart into an erratic pace that threatened to make her black out. And from somewhere deep inside, she felt a gentle touch on her wrist, a squeeze of reassurance, and smelled flowers. Her soul surged at the passing touch of her dear friend and lost companion, reminding her of who she was. They had defeated him before… they would not fail again.

With a voice stronger than she would have thought possible, she bared her teeth at the demon of old, her first enemy, and her reason for being in this hellish arena. "Hello, Chaos."

Deep, rumbling laughter bounced throughout the arena. The darkness before her moved, shifting like a black fog, and the glowing blue eyes never changed. They peered deep into her, reaching down into the very depths of her soul in an attempt to take hold. "You are a long way from home, little girl."

"Give him back."

The ancient demon laughed once again. "It doesn't work that way and you know it." The darkness floated away, towards the stands. The arm of the long black robe lifted and a black clawed hand extended from the shadows. It pointed at Vincent. "Come." The possessed man followed the quiet order, jumping over the barrier into the ring to drop to one knee before the darkness.

"Master," the soft voice intoned with reverence, his head bowed.

"You brought them to me," Chaos rumbled. "Why?"

"I seek the same thing they do: freedom."

"And you think I would give that to you, one who bears my name without my permission?"

Vincent raised his head, his gold eyes glowing brightly. "I do," he answered without fear. "Because even you, Great One, can't pass up an opportunity like this," he gestured to Aerith and Tifa.

Chaos hummed. "Greed," he drawled, and Vincent nodded. "My favorite sin. If this goes well, you shall get your desire." He turned his back on Vincent and faced Aerith. The glowing blue eyes shifted between the flower girl and the bartender. "Tell me your wish," he commanded.

"I wish for Cloud's soul to be returned to him," Aerith answered.

"And you will fight for this wish?"

"Yes."

The crowd roared with mocking comments.

"Silence!" The walls shook with Chaos' commanding voice. "Are you sure?" He reached his hand out and snapped his fingers. Immediately, Cloud turned away from the door where he'd been standing silent, and at Chaos' beckoning gesture, moved to stand next to the ancient demon. Chaos pointed his finger down. Without hesitation, Cloud dropped to one knee beside him and remained still. Chaos ran his fingers through the blood spattered hair and curved his hand around Cloud's jaw. He lifted the blond's head to stare down into ruby eyes. "Do you really think this one is worth dying over? Because you will die," he turned to look at her, "and I will cherish owning your soul for the rest of eternity."

Aerith felt her fists tightened as she watched him treat Cloud like a pet dog. "I'm not the one who's going to die," she glowered, her pointed stare making her meaning clear.

But Chaos was not swayed by her bravado. He laughed again and dropped Cloud's head, letting it fall back into its place of submission. He moved away from Aerith and pointed at her friends. "And you, worthless humans. Do you wish to fight in this battle, to save your friend's soul?"

All of them nodded as one, their faces set with determination.

"Do you wish to see them compete?" he called out to the crowd. They jumped up and cheered; arms, wings, and weapons flailing about in anticipation for the battle to come. Chaos chuckled softly, his deep growl carrying throughout the hall over the din of the spectators. "So be it." He faced Aerith once again. "You and your friends shall battle for your beloved. If you win, you all go free, with his life and his soul. But if you lose," he paused, his eyes turning red like glowing embers, "you will all belong to me. Forever."

Aerith nodded once.

Chaos vanished and Tifa collapsed. Aerith ran to her side and heard her friends running towards them. Distractedly, she heard the bald demon host take once again to his soapbox. She glanced at him in contempt as he riled up the crowd, and her eyes darted for Cloud… but he had also disappeared.

"You asked and you shall receive!" the host called out to the crowd, his arms wide. "Sure to be the most entertaining fight of the night, let's hear the conditions!" A bat flew down to his hand and he retrieved a small piece of parchment. "Oh, ho! My friends, tonight we shall not see one, not two, not even three, but four fights for the soul of Cloud Strife!"

Everyone looked up from where they knelt by Tifa and Aerith, staring at the host in confusion. Only Vincent, who had returned to his place in the stands, seemed to understand, and enjoy, the turn of events. "Four!" Yuffie spoke up. She looked at Aerith, "Do you have to fight four times?"

"All four fights must be won… and each fight will be dictated by a new set of restrictions. Our first fight is one on one without weapons!

"And the first contestant," the host turned and pointed to the foul-mouthed pilot, "is Cid Highwind!"

_A/N: Hi all. I'm really sorry for not getting this update on the weekend as I promised. I did not have internet connectivity to be able to post, and being part of a military unit that isn't always home, I didn't' have the means this week to get the update. But, if it means anything, I did finish the chapter on Sunday, keeping to my own schedule to finish a chapter a week! _

_Another thing I'd like to mention is I'm sorry to SkieStrife for lying to you. After finishing this chapter, I realized it was going to be a little more than just two chapters to the end. Now, this isn't going to be a major multi-chapter (40 and 50 and 60, oh my!) but it looks like its not ending just yet._

_Thanks to everyone who keeps coming back for more!_


	8. Dangerous Games

Chapter 8: Dangerous Games

Cid had no time to even speak before he watched the world around him disappear in a flash, only to reform itself from his place at the center of the ring. He looked around wildly. "What the hell-?!"

"The conditions: defeat your opponent with no weapons!" the host called out from across Cid, a smooth smile on his face. Another burst of light and Cid's spear vanished' from his grasp. His angry cry was lost in the host's next words. "Your opponent: Nekita!"

"Who?" Cid heard his friend's crying out behind him, calling for his attention, but their words were lost in the roar of the crowd. He turned to them, his hands up to his ears. "Wha-ah!" The world tilted, the ground coming up rapidly to his face. His arms pin wheeled as he lost his balance, his center of gravity disrupted by the brutal kick to the small of his back. He hit the ground in a graceless heap, a cloud of dust flying up with a loud, "Ooof!"

Reacting without thinking, he quickly rolled himself to the side as the ground shook near his head with the crash of a small black boot. Pushing himself up, he backed away, barely having time to react to the fury of punches and kicks flying at him. Behind the whirlwind of limbs, an angry young woman attacked, eager to spill his blood. He recognized her from the line of warriors who'd been waiting to fight… and it looked like his head would reward her a wish. A string of curses were lost in a grunt of pain as a solid punch hit him across the chin, knocking him back with enough force to make him lose his footing. He stumbled down to one knee. Nekita snapped her leg out, catching his chin with the tip of her boot. Cid's whole body lifted up and over as the world spun to fast for him to follow, and then the ground seized him catching first his shoulders in its cold and unforgiving embrace. The back of his head cracked against the ground and the rest of his body collapsed numbly from its freefall.

_Shiva have mercy,_ Cid thought as he tried to get his eyes to stop spinning in his head. He took a breath and lost it in a violent cough when those deadly accurate boots started driving its steel-toed tips into his rib cage. He automatically curled into his side, attempting to block the blows, trying to breathe, trying to see, trying to survive. Red spots danced in his vision, or maybe that was just his blood splattering across the ground… yep, that was his blood, and it was getting everywhere.

_Shit. _

* * *

_Shit, shit, shit!_

His voice was yelling louder and louder, and he thrashed viciously against his non-responsive body, but as it had been useless before, it continued to be pointless now. He screamed when Cid's head was nearly kicked off by the skilled martial artist, the pilot's body crashing to the ground with such force it was a miracle the neck didn't break. He clawed at the darkness around him, desperate as a man drowning trying to reach the surface. He couldn't help himself; his friend was being beaten death, and he was powerless to do anything but watch.

Then again, that had been the point all along. Every slaying by his hand, every splash of blood across his face, every scream befalling his open ears, every single act he was forced to perform for his "master's" amusement; all for him to watch, to feel, to taste through his perfectly coherent spirit trapped inside the alien body reborn to imprison him. Cloud tried to forget the sickening feel of his knuckles cracking against Tifa's cheek, the warm wetness of her blood staining his skin as his body walked away oblivious to his frantic screaming blocked deep inside his mind…

The laughter rumbled beside him, reminding him his thoughts weren't only his to hear. "What's wrong, pet?" Chaos asked from his left, his voice soft and smooth with malicious intent. "Aren't you enjoying the show? I am."

_When I get out of here-! _

Chaos laughed again before reaching out and grabbing Cloud's chin, turning his compliant and expressionless body to face the ancient terror. "Oh, I do love your spirit," he growled, his eyes glowing. "And I will love it even more when I've broken it."

_Never!_ Cloud yelled, putting all of his hate on display for the demon to see.

"Are you challenging me, Savior?" he purred. He chuckled quietly. "I do hope you fight back, Cloud Strife. Your suffering will be so pleasurable to watch when I claim your friend's souls… and let you kill each one of them," he whispered darkly. He pulled Cloud's face within inches of his. "Slowly." The demon's eyes flashed and Cloud cried out in his mind. His memory of hitting Tifa expanded and grew, her body now chained to a wall and her face now a mask of fear as his sword began ascending toward her bare skin, caressing, stroking, slicing. Cloud's screams mixed with hers as he fought to break free from Chaos' cruel nightmare.

And far below, in the arena, Cid fought to break free from certain death.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, his world had gone from confused to seriously confused, seriously hurt, and seriously pissed. He fought the darkness that called for him, holding onto the anger that was growing hotly in his chest. He forced his eyes open, watched the moves of the crazy bitch gleefully kicking his ribcage in, and in the moment she switched her stance, he moved. Rolling himself underneath the apex of her legs and grasping both ankles, he stood, lifting her in the air and throwing her backwards. She hit face down with a heavy grunt. He spun around, kicking his leg low and sweeping it across her face before she could dodge. She rolled with the force of the blow; wiping blood from her nose and glaring at him with hate filled eyes.

"Bring it, bitch," he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. His fists came up, his eyes narrowed, and he breathed through the pain. He was honed in on her now, the rest of the world was blocked out around him, and everything faded except for the anger that drove him to be the obscene arrogant prick of Rocket Town. He smiled; his body relaxing into the comforting familiarity of battle. Oh, yeah. It was on.

And it set his opponent over the edge. She crouched and leapt, murder shining in her eyes. Cid watched, following every hook, every jab, every sweep, and he moved with the ebb and flow of her attacks. Several blows landed, making him grunt in pain, but she didn't break his focus. His smile widened as he saw a pattern develop and he caught the perfect opportunity to disrupt her impenetrable defense. She stumbled at his grin, his enjoyment of the fight making her move faster… and less carefully. She spun to hit him with a backhanded swing and he struck. Stepping into her movement, he seized the offered arm and held it behind her head. He forced her back against his chest and wrapped his free arm around her neck, pressing her head forward and pinching her neck. Leaning back, he pulled her short frame up off the ground, forcing all of her weight into the crook of his arm. She kicked wildly, choking and sputtering for air, then stilled. He dropped his arm and pushed her away from him, watching her crumble and land face first in the blood covered dirt.

The crowd roared in joy and he gave them a bloody grin… and the middle finger. He turned to his friends and began walking towards them.

"Wait!" the host called from above, magically hovering over the ring as he pointed down at Cid with hungry eyes. "You have not finished your opponent!"

Cid looked down at Nekita. Her body was still but for the shallow movement of her chest, and he looked back up at the demonic creature. "The hell I didn't, you blind bastard! She's out like a light, match over!" He turned and continued on his way. From behind he heard a roar of anger as the crowd started taunting him.

"Stop! You will end her life, Cid Highwind!"

Cid spun and pointed at the host. "No! I'm not killing an innocent girl! You said 'defeat your opponent', not kill." He pointed at her. "She's defeated. _Match! Over!_"

The host glared at him, his eyes burning with hellfire. "Very well," he allowed his voice soft with spite. He snapped his fingers and Cid felt dizzy. His balance went askew and was righted by the support of his friends as they caught him. He clasped Barrett's shoulder and grinned before wincing as the pain started ebbing back with the decrease of his adrenaline. Aerith forced him to sit down as she checked his wounds. Her urgent questions about his health were quickly drowned out by the thundering of his heart as the crowd cheered.

AVALANCHE turned, watching in mute horror as four giant knurled beasts were released in to the ring. They approached the slowly rousing warrior, growling and snarling. She barely had time to look up and scream when they pounced on her. "No!" Cid screamed, jumping to his feet as jagged teeth latched onto struggling limbs… and pulled. He snapped his head to the side, automatically reaching out to Aerith and turning her away as Barrett did the same to Yuffie. It wasn't fast enough by the tremble in the Ancient's shoulders… and the calls of the crowd could not block out the dwindling screams or the wet crunching sounds echoing around the arena.

"Damn it!" Cid hissed. He turned back and glared at the host who smiled down at him.

"The victor, Cid Highwind," he acknowledged.

* * *

The girl's blood hadn't even cooled before the next battle was declared. The beasts were called away as two names were called out to the crowds: Nanaki and Yuffie. The ninja looked at her four legged companion before they were transported into the center of the ring. Her hand came up to her mouth and her eyes bulged. Then she stopped swaying and seemed to gain control of her bodily functions.

"Your opponents: the Tanaka Brothers," the host announced with a wave of his arm, gesturing towards two tall, large, and heavily armed siblings across the ring. "The conditions: don't fall down."

"Huh?" Yuffie asked. "What does that-whoa!" She dropped to one knee while Nanaki dug his claws into the ground as the earth shifted, rumbling and cracking away from the walls of the stands. Yuffie looked behind her to see the ground drop into nothingness until only a large circle remained at the center of the arena. Crackling could be heard in the air, and a burst of hot wind blew up from the darkness. Flames leapt into the air, making Nanaki growl at the singed fur on his back. He and Yuffie moved quickly away from the edge, turning to stare at the dancing flames. They soon fell away into a rolling pool of molten lava.

"I don't like this," Yuffie whined.

"Don't fall," Nanaki repeated before turning to look at their opponents.

Yuffie followed his stare. "Right," she said with an air of fake confidence. "That shouldn't be too hard." Laughter erupted around the arena causing both girl and beast to look around in confusion. The ground started to tremble before it began to tilt, lifting their opponents' side at a rapidly inclining angle… and bringing them closer to a fiery death.

"Oh my Gods!" Yuffie shouted. Both sprinted toward the center of the platform, causing the ground to tilt back even before slowly tipping their opponents side down toward the lava. The two brothers pulled their weapons and charged. As they met at the center, the ground leveled out, and both Nanaki and Yuffie had only a second to understand the precarious position they'd been placed in for this fight.

"I really don't like this!" Yuffie cried out as she fought off one of the brothers. All four warriors moved close to each other, not daring to push the other back for fear of shifting the weight. Nanaki was finding this incredibly difficult, the shifting of the earth leaving him little room to maneuver away from the axes falling for his throat. After several blows to his opponent's body, he realized the man's armor was just too strong to break through without using distance for added force. Yuffie wasn't doing much better, attempting to fight in close combat with a long range weapon.

"We have to knock them off!" Nanaki yelled at her.

"Are you crazy?! We'll go over with them!"

"That's the condition to win the fight! Fall down!"

"Well, after you!" she drawled, clearly not eager to follow through with the idea.

_ Great._ Nanaki began dancing around his opponent, sparing glances around the arena as he attempted to figure out a plan. His eye caught Yuffie's 4 point Shuriken when a burst of flame reflected off its smooth surface. _Ah._ He dodged one strike, one more, and his mind whirled. _Maybe…_ "Yuffie! Jump backwards!"

"What?!" she called back as she ducked.

"Jump backwards!"

"How far?!"

"Surprise me!"

She gave him a confused glance before dropping down and sweeping her opponent. Spinning up to her feet, she threw herself back into the air, somersaulting three times before landing about five feet from the edge. She looked up, panic setting into her eyes when the ground began shifting, her weight causing the ground to tilt her closer to the boiling heat below.

Nanaki was already sprinting towards her, his opponent forgotten as he yelled out, "Grab on!" Yuffie barely had time to move her legs as Nanaki ran between them, lifting her onto his back as he skirted the edge and changed direction, charging up the center of the tilting circle. He felt Yuffie's hand tighten in his fur and her shout of surprise.

"What are you doing?!"

"Get ready to throw your Shiruken into the ground!" he yelled back as he reached the far side of the circle, causing it to tilt down again.

Yuffie looked up at the two brothers struggling to get their balance, and she watched the world start to angle itself towards a brief but painful death. The light bulb clicked as the brothers began to slide with nothing to stop them. "Red, go!"

Nanaki began to run back up the sharpening incline, his speed too slow to stop the ground from shifting, but fast enough to avoid being knocked down by their opponents. Yuffie pulled her arm back, and when they were clear of the brothers, she threw her weapon hard into the earth, nearly embedding all of one point. The ground was well beyond a 45 degree tilt, and she could feel Nanaki slipping backwards. He turned his body and slid, landing three of his four paws onto Yuffie's Shiruken and providing a stable foundation. Yuffie and Nanaki watched as the two brothers attempted to drive their axes into the ground to stop their fall, but the ground was now nearly straight up and down.

Two screams, two splashes, and the roaring crowds signaled the end of the battle. The arena righted itself and returned to its former state. Nanaki and Yuffie vanished from the ring and appeared beside their friends. The young Ninja swayed and smiled, then heaved over the side of the railing.

"Two of four won," Aerith muttered to Barrett as she patted Yuffie's back. "Who do you think will be next?"

"I don't know," the renegade answered as he spoke over the host's cackling calls of victory to the members of AVALANCHE once again. "But I hope it's not Tifa." He glanced at his friend, still prone on a bench, unaware to the dangerous games being played around her.

* * *

It was not Tifa but Barrett who was moved into the arena. He was grateful for that, not doubting for a second Chaos or his lackeys would have used the unconscious warrior to their own sick advantage. He looked around, feeling small despite his massive build. The crowd was staring at him, ravenous for more blood shed… and probably hoping it would be his.

"Barrett Wallace." He turned around at the call of his name and stared at the demonic host. "Your opponent, Clunk." Barrett turned to the right, sizing up his competitor. He was a size to behold. Taller than Barrett by at least a foot, and broader in the shoulders, his massive arms flexed with yards of sinew muscle, waiting to rip apart limbs with bare hands. At his side, a massive hammer rested on its large, flat head.

"Your conditions," the host continued with a sneer, "one weakness to each fighter, no items authorized." He pointed at Clunk. "Poison." The man doubled over as a green mist absorbed into his body, and his skin pulsed with the lethal ailment. The host turned his sparkling eyes to Barrett, pointed, and smirked. "Darkness." The host's image slowly faded, as did the crowd and his opponent, and Barrett was left standing in the ring, blind.

He didn't dally. Raising his right arm, he sent a spray of bullets from his trusty gatling gun, sweeping across the space in front of him in the place he'd last seen Clunk. Silence followed, and he listened carefully. He could hear nothing over the crowd, and too late he felt the shift in the air over him. He ducked and rolled to the right. His left shoulder exploded with pain as he moved, the arm possible dislocated from its socket by the devastating blow. Barrett attempted to move away, shooting wildly around him as he tried to steady his breathing. On instinct he jumped, feeling the wind beneath his feet when the hammer missed crushing his knees. He landed, rolled forward, hissed through the pain and spun to shoot.

He smiled when he heard a sharp groan then winced when his shoulder throbbed. Had he been slower, his whole arm may have been crushed, with his head. The poison didn't seem to be having much affect if he could still hit that hard. Of course, it may have been a small dose, leaving Clunk only slightly weakened, whereas Barrett was totally blind.

Not that it bothered him. Of all the weaknesses he could have received, this was the one he could work through best. He was a miner, after all.

He shifted his focus from his hearing, that wasn't useful to him over the noise of the spectators, to the feel of the ground beneath his right knee. He stilled his breathing… and felt it. The small tremor, followed by another, and another, coming faster. The vibrations warned Barrett of Clunk's approach, and the renegade sent a spray of lead in his direction. He heard the scream and felt the footsteps falter, but not halt.

Clunk wasn't stopping.

Barrett raised his arm up to block the massive mountain of muscle as it crashed into him, picking him up and slamming him down into the ground with enough force to crack every single bone in the renegade's body. When Barrett stopped sliding and attempted to breathe, he felt a searing heat in his ribs that made him want to rip open his chest and pull out his ribs. He settled for swearing. Above him, he could smell Clunk's rank breath, panting heavily into his face. Something wet dripped on him and Barrett turned his head away in disgust. There was a gurgling noise, a burst of hot hair as Clunk sighed, and his body became dead weight upon the renegade.

Match over.

Using his right arm, now pinned between himself and Clunk's crushing weight, he managed to move his opponent off and roll him to the side. Automatically, his chest heaved for life saving air. The act sent his body into a spasm of pain and a coughing fit. Tears spilled from his eyes and suddenly Cid and Yuffie were in his face, telling him to lay back and not move. He watched Cid grab his arm, tell him to shut the hell up, and then re-locate his shoulder. "Argh! You son of a bitch!"

Cid grinned at him. "Love you, too, man."

Barrett sat up to throttle him and immediately fell back when his ribs throbbed. "Damn it!" he swore as he was pushed back down. "Shit, I hope they're just bruised."

"So do I."

Barrett squinted up at the smiling face of Vincent, his glowing eyes indicating the visiting demon was still residing. "Why the hell would you care?"

Vincent tilted his head. "I want you to put up something of a fight when I tear your head from your body." His smile spread to reveal sharp fangs. "It's boring otherwise."

Cid glared and shook his head. "You sick son of a-."

The words were lost as the crowd cheered, coming to its feet and waving arms and weapons in the air. Barrett, Cid, and Yuffie turned to look, gasping as they saw their flower girl in the center of the ring, looking around at the screaming spectators. "Aerith!"

* * *

Aerith gripped the Staff of the Magi, taking a small amount of comfort in the warmth pulsating into her hand. She breathed, forcing her heart rate to slow. It wasn't easy, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared. But now wasn't the time for such trivial things. Cloud was out there, somewhere, and she wasn't leaving until he was safe.

No matter what the cost.

Lightning cracked overhead, drawing gasps of delight from the crowd. Aerith refrained from flinching as she stared at the host hovering overhead. He did not speak. He simply watched her, the slightest of smiles cracking his pale features. "Well?" she said finally. "Where is he?"

"Who?" the host asked lightly.

"Chaos. Or is he too afraid to fight his own battles?"

The host laughed. "Who said anything about fighting Chaos?"

Nervousness began to build in Aerith's stomach. "Then who is my opponent?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"The condition to win Cloud's soul," the host purred, "is someone in the ring must die." Foreboding shot through Aerith at the words. Her mouth went dry when the host chuckled and snapped his fingers, causing the arena to become occupied by eight skilled and deadly warriors. Aerith's pulse surged as she realized she was terribly outnumbered.

Then her heart stopped when it finally hit her.

Staring back at her with a shock that mirrored her own were the members of AVALANCHE. Each looked at the other, save for the unconscious bartender slumped against the wall and the possessed Turk smiling with anticipation. Horror was slowly dawning as eyes fell onto the eighth member standing across the arena from Aerith.

Cloud Strife drew his sword and faced her.

The world tuned out to a terrifying stillness, was slowly broken by the racing of her heart. Aerith's blood pounded past her ears and she barely kept herself from collapsing to her knees as it all sank in. Her opponents were her friends… her family…

…and someone in the ring must die.

_A/N: Hi all! Thank you very much for your continued support on this little adventure. I hope you have enjoyed it so far, and will stick around for the conclusion in the next few weeks. Have a Happy President's Day! _


	9. Angels Will Rise

**Chapter 9: Angels will Rise**

"What the hell-!" Cid shouted.

"Aerith!" Red and Yuffie cried out.

"Cloud, don't!" Barrett hollered, wincing as he stepped forward, his shoulder throbbing angrily while reaching out toward his young, blond friend. The warrior took no notice of anyone else, his red eyes fixed on the pale woman standing across from him. Growling in frustration, Barrett ignored his protesting body and raised his gun arm. With a burst of brass, he sprayed the ground at Cloud's feet, attempting to hinder the demon soldier.

Barrett was struck across the chest, the power behind the blow smashing his battered body into the wall behind him. He thought he heard his name shouted around the ring. Through dazed eyes, he looked up at the grinning figure of Vincent, his eyes shinning brightly.

"Now, now," the possessed man reprimanded, "don't interfere."

"What?"

Vincent only laughed and raised his clawed hand, flexing it in anticipation. "Let's play." With demonic speed, he leapt forward and grabbed Barrett by the throat, squeezing hard enough to dig his sharp digits into the rebel's neck to draw blood. Barrett grabbed the arm that held him and squeezed, attempting to break the grip. He was lifted off the ground, watching through the black spots in his vision as Cloud continued his slow stalk towards Aerith.

"Stop him!" he choked out. Vincent turned and watched Cid and Yuffie run to intercept. Nanaki sprinted to stand before Aerith, his tailing flicking wildly around him. Yuffie drew her arm back to throw her shuriken and Cid reared back with his lance for a deadly thrust.

Vincent threw Barrett, sending the large man right into the two unsuspecting warriors. The three crashed into the ground in a graceless heap of limbs and weapons. Barrett groaned loudly as he landed on his damaged ribs, making him see flashes of white pulsing with the fire in his side. In the dirt before him, Barrett made out a heavy black boat stained with dried blood. A shadow fell across him and continued onward. Barrett watched, struggling to breathe, as Cloud moved around them, his steps never faltering. A fierce growl drew his attention away from Strife and upon the tattooed beast who guarded Aerith. Red crouched and charged; his head low as he made to ram the fallen leader of AVALANCHE.

The bandaged buster sword swung out, the broadside of the large weapon connecting solidly along Nanaki's body and knocking him sideways across the arena. He landed hard, rolling in the dirt several times before sliding to a stop. He recovered quickly and charged once more, leaping high into the air to come spinning down upon his opponent. Cloud sidestepped at the moment of impact, Nanaki passing close enough to make his cape ripple. With a blank expression, Cloud turned as Nanaki landed, his booted foot snapping out just as the young beast spun. The kick caught him across the back of his jaw, wrenching his head to the side and throwing Nanaki back into the air. He howled as he landed and tumbled.

Panting, Nanaki looked up at Cloud through narrowed eyes. He shook his head, spitting a glob of blood into the dirt at his feet. Standing on shaky legs, he growled again and crouched low. The blond turned away, uninterested, and resumed stalking his prey.

"Cloud!" Nanaki roared and charged. To his left, he caught a flash of green and the sound of metal moving in front of him. It appeared for a second then vanished. Nanaki tried to stop but his momentum carried him headfirst into the Wall cast behind Cloud. His head crashed hard enough to make him see stars. He staggered back then collapsed into the dirt.

"Red!" Barrett yelled. He lifted himself to his knees, his eyes darting between his fallen friend and the flower girl slowly backing away from Cloud. Beside him, Yuffie and Cid groaned, slowly lifting themselves up. Moving to stand, he was blocked by the swirling dark clothes of Vincent, who smiled down at him with blazing gold eyes.

"Round two?" he asked sweetly. He grabbed Barrett's tattered shirt and pulled his face within inches of his. "Fight."

* * *

The smell of blood was sharp in the air. His ears rang with the wild cries of the crowd, and his heart pumped with the adrenaline of the darkness coursing through his veins. He fought, desperately, against the darkness, against the forward movement of his legs and the gentle swing of the sword in his hand. He screamed and clawed to control the body that wouldn't listen. Helpless, he'd watched his friends stand against him. He heard their cries, felt his body react to their charges, and yet he proceeded onward, toward the end game that had been planned all along.

Cloud felt his heart race in fear as he approached Aerith. She was taking careful steps away from him, her eyes never leaving his, her staff held out as if to ward him off. In her eyes, he could see the confusion and uncertainty battling with the stubbornness that could drive him crazy. A shudder ran through him as his eyes moved down to the staff in her hands, and he slowed in his advance.

Something about the staff made him shiver. His hand tightened around the bandaged buster sword in reflex to the strange aura reaching out to him, its pulsating energy making him more sluggish the closer he came. His body twitched in agitation and confusion, his approach hesitant.

"_Do you like it?"_

"_Cloud, it's incredible." _

"_It's called the Staff of the Magi… it's as much of an amulet as a weapon, and it should keep you safe."_

"…_is there something I need protection from?"_

Cloud's mind buzzed with the memory, and with the bittersweet pain of its irony. But he did not regret it, and he did not fear the pain his demonic body would experience from the staff's power. It was imbued with Holy elements, and he being a creature of darkness would have no chance. Aerith would kill him, and Chaos would lose… even if he didn't keep his end of the bargain. The suffering would end, for everyone.

_You think it'll be that easy?_

Cloud flinched at the dark voice in his head.

_You think I'll let it be that easy?_

His body began to move again, stepping backwards and raising his sword high in the air. Power surged through him as he felt the limit break solidifying. _No, stop!_

_Foolish boy. The suffering is just beginning._

The sword swung down and a blue bolt of energy shot towards Aerith with lightning fast speed.

* * *

The Blade Beam crashed into the arena wall, sending spectators flying as debris rained down on Aerith where she lay in the dirt. She scrambled to her feet from her less than graceful dodge, her battle instincts kicking in and putting her on defense. Rubbing her thumb over the yellow support materia locked into her staff, she cast Big Guard on herself and felt the surge of energy wrap around her. Her breathing quickened as the barriers formed and vanished. She twirled her staff and set her feet, ready to do whatever was necessary to win back the man she loved.

_Whatever was necessary… right?_

She blinked and Cloud was gone, only the flash of his red cape alerting her to his presence behind her. She spun and brought her staff up to block the downward slash of his sword. Clashing metal rang out over the crowd, hiding her gasp. The force of the blow sent trembles through her arms and she felt her feet slip backwards under the power, even with the extra protection from the barrier. He moved and swung again, and again, and again, driving her back with each hit she barely managed to block. Only haste enabled her to move fast enough to stop the sword before it ran her through.

The heaviness in her arms alerted her to her much weaker state, and sweat began to form on her brow as she was slowly being pushed to her physical limits. She knew Cloud was much stronger than she, but maybe she had overestimated her own abilities. Or maybe she wasn't acknowledging her abilities enough…

She was never a great fighter, playing defense for her friends in most battles. And for her the best defense meant getting distance. At his next swing, she ducked under the blade and sprinted to the right, pulling her energy into forming a level 3 ice spell she threw at him the moment she turned around. It hit him dead center and dropped him to his knees. She stopped and assessed, her mind rapidly running through her options.

Defeating him weapon to weapon was out the question, but he was susceptible to spells. At least, so far. Her materia consisted of several mastered attack spells, two summons, and cure. As Cloud looked up at her and regained his feet, she wondered if that would be enough.

The staff hummed in her hand and Cloud flinched when he stepped closer. It pulsed again and Cloud's face became a mask of irritation. She looked down at it. When he gave it to her, Cloud said it had powers like Holy. But Holy was a massive conjuring spell, and it only worked after hours of prayer… and her death. She didn't know how to make the staff work here.

Her head jerked back up when a sharp sound cut through the air, the sound of his wing snapping open behind him. With a rush of air, he launched himself into the air. Aerith's eyes widened as he raised his sword and charged down at her, ready to impale her clean into the ground. She raised her staff in a feeble attempt to block.

Silver flashed and Cloud's sword was knocked from his hand by the spinning shiruken. Aerith had only a moment to see Yuffie catch her four point weapon before she was knocked off her feet, blood bursting from her shoulder as the gunshot echoed around the arena. In that same moment, the breath was knocked from Aerith's chest as Cloud slammed into her, pushing her shoulders into the hard ground as they skidded across.

Fire burned through her body and her eyes spun with dizziness. The weight on her body lifted, her eyes managing to make out Cloud's hazy form moving away to retrieve his sword. Unsteadily, she sat up, trying to hurry before his next attack, her body begging to differ. A whoosh of air alerted her to his oncoming attack, but she was still too stunned to move away, to try and avoid his sword aiming for her heart. She stared up at him, hovering overhead like an angel of death, and her breath caught.

_Gods, of course…_

So shocked by the revelation, she couldn't even make a sound as Cloud dove at her once more. A cry of rage filled the air as Cid charged, slamming his lance into the ground and vaulting himself up in between Aerith and the descending sword. He spun his lance around in a shining arc of sharp metal, the two weapons clashing in mid air as Cid sailed past. It wasn't enough to stop him, but Cloud was knocked off course long enough for Aerith to stand. Cid landed, lance poised behind him, as his eyes locked on Cloud.

"Are you ok?" he shouted roughly.

"Yes, but don't worry about me!" Her head gestured over towards Yuffie gripping her shoulder as Barrett struggled with Vincent, though the possessed man's eyes were suddenly fixated on Cid. Red was painfully making his way over toward Cid's side. "Go help them, I can handle Cloud!"

His head whipped to her. "Are you shitting me?! He's going to take your damn head off!"

"This is my fight, Cid!" All further words were lost as Cloud curled up before launching himself at her again. She stood her ground, staff at the ready. Gritting her teeth, she swung at his sword, deflecting the sharp blade for cutting her. She did not have the strength to prevent being knocked off her feet and flew several yards back through the air.

A cry of pain left her when she felt something snap inside her as she crashed to the ground. White hot pain radiated from her chest and a dull ache was building in her left wrist. Moving her hand caused pain to course through her. Broken? Sprained? It didn't matter; she wouldn't be able to fight with it. Ignoring the haze of pain in her mind, she let her mind fill with the spell of a level 3 Cure. Her body instantly relaxed with the soothing coolness of its healing touch. Opening her eyes, she had enough time to gasp and roll before the ground shook with the impact of the bandaged sword as it broke into the earth where she once laid.

On her feet and backing away, Aerith heard a shout and caught a glimpse of Cid and Red running towards her. From across the arena, the sound of materia being used preceded two black orbs flying at her friends. They were hit dead center and forced to the ground by the powerful gravity spell. Aerith watched Vincent smirk at her before he swiped his arm at Barrett, shredding his shirt with four sharp cuts across his battered chest. He turned and moved away as the ninja threw a flying punch at him. She spun and snapped a flying kick at his head, and Vincent drew his gun and shot her in the leg.

"No!" Aerith screamed, moving to run to her friend, when a leg snapped out into her stomach, the blow like that of a steel ball, dropping her to her knees as she wailed in pain. Instinctively, she crawled back, one arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Cloud bore down on her, his foot kicking out once more to knock her staff from her weakening grip. She watched it spin out of her reach. Slowly, she lifted her eyes up to the demonic replica.

He breathed evenly, his hands coming together on his sword as he raised it up over his head. Aerith forced a smile across her bloody lips and she brought her hands together in front of her, clasped in prayer. "Forgive me, Cloud," she whispered. She bowed her head and released the energy that had built to its limit inside of her, calling upon Great Gospel.

* * *

Yuffie was tearing at her clothes, making strips to staunch the flowing blood from his deadly accurate bullets. Cid and Red were still struggling to stand under his gravity spell. And Barrett was squirming at the end of Vincent's clawed hand, like a fish pulled from its life source. Chaos, ever enjoying his current possession breathed deep the delicious scent surrounding him and grinned at Barrett. He hummed in satisfaction. "Your blood smells sweet," he said with a dart of his tongue across his lips. "Do you taste as sweet?"

Barrett's eyes went wide as Vincent revealed his glistening fangs. "Get the hell away from me!" he struggled violently, kicking at the cloaked man.

Chaos laughed and slammed Barrett into the ground, pinning him and moving to the renegade's throat. "Relax, it's only a snack." He whispered in his ear, "Can't have you dying and ruining the show." He chuckled and breathed along Barrett's racing pulse, his lips ghosting over it before a flash of light made his head lift.

Aerith knelt in prayer, her head down as golden rays of light cascaded from a brilliant source above. Angels descended and Chaos recoiled in fear as their ethereal presence touched everyone, caressing each with a holy touch that made him burn inside Vincent's body. Deep down, he heard Vincent's voice reach him from the darkness of his mind, struggling to reach the surface. Screams filled his ears as he fought for control.

Vincent slipped away, Chaos maintaining control of his pliable host, but the screams continued. Opening his golden eyes, he looked over to see Cloud on his knees, his head back and his hands tearing at his hair, the angels casting their holy powers on him. His screams verged on those of the insane, and Chaos flinched at the holy fire that rained down on the blond warrior. The limit break ended, and Cloud fell forward on to his hands. Steam rose from his smoldering clothes, blood beginning to pool where the skin was seared by the heavenly touch. He panted and moaned, his head bowed close to the blood stained ground.

Chaos watched in shock as Aerith stood and retrieved her staff. Deliberate steps led her back to stand in front of her weakened opponent. Chaos felt his heart pound. A set look came over her face as she stared down at Cloud, and her hands tightened around her weapon. Light began to pulse from the staff, and the crescent moon at the end began to glow. Aerith looked down at the staff in surprise, then understanding, then resignation. Her eyes rose again, and even from so far away, Chaos could see the sorrow in her face.

He looked back at the balcony shrouded in darkness, and the flowing eyes set in the shadows made him shiver with excitement. The tension in the room was building as everything stilled, all eyes focused on the flower girl and her fallen warrior. It was only a matter of time before she struck the final blow, and his master's plan would come full circle…

_A/N: Hi all! Thanks for the recent reviews and for the continued support in this story! My muse has been pulling me away to write a new story, and work has been keeping me out and about, so it's been a struggle to get back into the swing of this story. I intended to get farther with this chapter, actually, but where I want to go would make this chapter much longer than I would like, so it looks like I'll just be adding another chapter to the list!_

_Hope you all enjoyed this and I hope you had a blessed Easter and a fun filled April Fool's Day!_


	10. This Can't Be Happening

**Chapter 10: This Can't Be Happening**

Darkness. Silence. Weightlessness.

Lifestream.

The memory flashed by her, green tinted and pain laden as Cloud walked her through his past. It faded back into the thick darkness. Silence returned. And still, she floated. This was not the Lifestream…

_… then, where…_

Pain.

Fury.

Anger.

Fear.

Blood.

_So much blood!_

Tifa felt herself begin to panic at the dark emotions and images invading her mind. She gripped her head, dropping to her knees and fighting off the darkness. Stop it! Cloud, _help!_

_-fa-_

_Stop stop stop stop._

_ -T-fa-_

That voice…?

_-ifa!_

Make it _stop!_

_-up-_

Wha…

_Look up!_

The voice was so commanding, she couldn't help but comply. Instantly, the blood and darkness retreated, and the world spun into focus in the shape of a battle arena and a roaring crowd. Despite the noise, she felt caught in a bubble, all sound mutated, all actions slowed. Her eyes immediately caught the image of death about to fall upon Cloud, to be bestowed by the innocent Ancient.

Something about the picture terrified her enough to make a scream rise up in her throat but only chocking gasps left her. _No, no, no, wrong!_ But she couldn't remember… why this mind numbing fear…?

_Your soul remembers_, the voice whispered in her ear, _but their's do not._

_…Zack?_

_You have to hurry, Tifa. You have to get up! Save them before Chaos wins!_

_ I don't… what's going on?!_

A gentle warmth filled her mind, the hurried whisper of her dead companion brushing over her with the faintest touch. _Damnation_, he answered. _Chaos has rigged the battle. When someone dies, Cloud will live, but he already does, inside that mutant body, controlled by Chaos. He's forced to watch himself kill and can't stop it. And if he watches Aerith die again…_

Tifa stared at Cloud and knew he wouldn't be able to survive that pain again. But, if he died, his life would be returned… Something about the thought made her shiver, her body, no, her soul, trembling in fear.

_If Cloud dies at her hand, he will live again, but Aerith's soul will be damned, and lost to Chaos forever!_

Tifa's heart froze in her chest and her soul stirred in distress. _Of course._ It wasn't mercy killing. It was murder, the willful decision to end another. Aerith was about to murder her friend, her love, under the pretense she was saving him. It was the perfect trap. _Tell her_, she begged him. _Stop her!_

_I can't_, he whispered, his voice fading in her mind. _You must-_

_Zack?_ She felt the warmth drain away. _Zack! What do I do?_

_-take a life- save them all-_ his voice broke in and out of her mind as her body roused itself back to full consciousness.

_ Zack!_

_You know_… he faded from her, and the world came back in full swing.

* * *

Everything was a roar of sound, punctuated with flashes of light dancing over the blurry ground. Dirt swirled before her as her gaze focused, and she recognized her companions in various stages of distress. Red and Cid appeared to be pinned to the ground, frantically trying to stand. Vincent was strangling Barrett who struggled weakly against his captor. The possessed Turk was looking up into the sky, staring at the balcony where their enemy sat in darkness.

And in the center of the ring, Aerith stood over the crumbled form of Cloud, his body quaking with pain and fatigue, his head bowed into ground. The set of her shoulders and the pain on her face gave away her intentions, and Tifa's heart constricted as Zack's words echoed in her mind.

_…A life must be taken… but all will be lost…_

_What do I do? What am I supposed to do?!_

She shifted her feet under her, struggling to stand, when vertigo hit her hard enough to tilt the world nearly upside down. She dug her fingers into the ground, breathing through the nausea, shouting in her mind to focus, damn it, focus!

And when the world did, she looked up. She gasped. "Aerith, no!"

* * *

_Into the heart_, it whispered in her mind. _Touch the heart, and the evil will be undone._

Aerith's eyes closed as the power of the staff hummed through her hands, and a voice whispered in her mind. _What will happen?_ she whispered back.

_The body will be destroyed. Death will be swift. Cloud will die. _

Her chest tightened. _Cloud is already dead._

_Cloud will die. _

She held the staff over head, arms tightening in preparation for the final blow. _He will be returned._

_Cloud will die._

"Aerith, no!"

Her eyes shot open, the panicked shout and repeated words making her hesitate in her swing. Tifa was holding her hand out, begging her not to strike the blow. Aerith felt a surge of doubt, reinforced by the steady assurance of her staff. Cloud would not look at her, accepting his fate without so much as a look of defiance. It was too easy…

Chaos was lying. It was a trap, it had to be. This was what he wanted… and Aerith wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He was using their fears against them, pitting them against each other in the hopes one would kill the other in a moment of fear or anger or the disillusioned sense of doing what's right.

So clever. Aerith raised her eyes to the darkness above. She could feel his stare, hot and powerful, but she did not shudder or cower. Instead, she lowered her staff and dropped it to the dirt by her foot. The crowd cheered and booed, but the sounds became nothing but white noise as she dropped her eyes to Cloud's.

"I trust you," she whispered when he looked up.

His face showed no reaction, not even when she smiled at him, her eyes shinning with the encouragement that they could get through this. The first movement she noticed was the twitch of his fingers. Then, one foot planting itself. He leaned forward, slowly raising himself to his feet.

But not before retrieving the sword at his side.

* * *

_No, Aerith, don't!_ Cloud watched her drop her staff, watched the glow fade into the dirt, watched her smile at him with so much love and trust. Her encouragement to him, her belief in him, made his heart break as he fought desperately against the body that would not yield to him. _No, no, stop!_ he screamed when he felt the weight of the sword in his hand. _Not again, please, not again!_

His anguish increased at the low laughter in his mind, soft and cruel. _Yes, again. Encore, please._

_Chaos, stop this! Stop it now!_ The laughter only magnified, chilling Cloud's mind. _Chaos, please! Don't hurt her!_

_That's right, Cloud, beg me. Beg and suffer._

The demon body stepped back, the hands coming together and bringing the blade level at the waist, the legs ready to lunge forward. _Aerith, run, please, baby, run! _ She remained still, her face brave, her eyes strong, her love and trust shinning like a beacon, pleading with Cloud to fight, to win, to save them all.

_No, no, no, no, no! Aerith, run, run! Gods, please!_ Cloud felt the body tense and screamed.

* * *

_It's the only way_. The words echoed in Aerith's mind, though she couldn't bring herself to say them, even if she knew Cloud could hear her. She watched Cloud prepare to strike her down, and yet she felt no fear. Somehow, she knew this was what had to happen. Cloud's life would be restored, and then they could defeat Chaos once again. And she… she would return to the Lifestream, where she was always meant to be.

She only hoped Cloud would forgive her.

She took a breath and squared her shoulders. Locking her eyes onto Cloud's, she smiled and said, "I will always trust you… and I will always love you."

His body tensed and she opened her arms.

Everything blurred, and time stopped, every minute detail reaching her clearly: the tension in the air around her, the atmosphere frozen with a million collected breaths; Nanki's roar, mingled with the terrified screams of Cid, Barrett, Yuffie and Tifa, all helpless to the scene played out before them; the bone chilling laughter of the demon inside Vincent, gleefully watching his victory come to fruition; the icy whisper deep in her mind, where Chaos reached out and touched her, his dark voice a gentle whisper, thank you, my lady; and there, just there, in the corner of her eye, the beautiful face of her deceased friend, her Zack, staring at her with a sadness that made her heart cry…

…and the world came back, exploding with movement and pain.

* * *

There was little resistance, the sword slicing cleanly through cloth, skin, and bone, until the momentum was lost in the thrust. The hilt stopped, a nearly perfect vertical line in the center of her abdomen. The cut was so precise, very little blood soaked into her clothes. But it soaked into the bandages of his sword, deep red and metallic scented. The sight of it, the smell of it, the weight of it… _oh, Gods,_ the weight of her body hefted on his sword, holding her up, holding her to him… and around him, every sound was lost in the pounding of his heart.

_N… no… no!_

Her eyes were wide in shock, her mouth moving slightly as if she tried to speak to him, but had forgotten how. The skin of her face was so pale, so terribly pale, the blood draining away with each gasping breath. Her breathing was becoming erratic, and her hands shook as they came up to his face. A word finally escaped her, one word that had always carried so much meaning to him whenever she spoke it.

"Cloud…"

_No no no…_

He felt her fingers trailing on his cheek, felt the tremble through the soft tips while the last of her energy was put into comforting him. Why did she always make it about him? Guilt? Regret? Above all, love. He knew, deep in his broken heart, it was always about love.

_No no no no no…_

Her beautiful face blurred before him. Hot tears streaked down his cheeks to be brushed away by her weakening fingers. His hand fell away from the sword to caress her hair, brushing it down as he supported her head. Her legs gave out and he caught her with his other arm, his own knees crashing into the bloodied earth as he rocked her gently.

His body was his once more, but it didn't matter. Pain laced through him as the demonic appendages died and turned to dust, but it didn't matter. He was emotional and broken before those who wanted to destroy him, but it didn't matter.

_No no no… why…_

"Don't cry."

He stilled, her soft voice breaking his heart. His hand tightened in her soft hair.

"Please don't cry, Cloud."

A sob choked his throat at his name. That one word, always so much said in that one word… and he only had one word in reply. "Why?" he whispered.

"Next time-will be our time," she gasped out. "Chaos… can't stop that."

His eyes squeezed shut, his throat constricting on the cry of despair that built up from his chest. He gasped and was able to speak once more, whispering softly into her hair, "It will, won't it?" He understood, but it didn't ease the hurt. "And it will be wonderful."

She laughed, so lightly, so carefully, so painfully around the blood pooling in her lungs, and her smile was so hurtful to look at, filled with anguish and joy. "It-it better be." She winced, her teeth clenching at the wave of pain, and her tears fell to mingle in the blood dripping from her lips. "You-you take care of h-her now… got it?"

Cloud tried to smile at her, tried to hide the pain and sadness and the regret this moment brought, but instead nodded and pressed his forehead to hers. "I promise," he answered, his voice strained.

"I lo-love you, Cloud."

A soft keening left his throat before he wrapped his hands around her face and he pulled back far enough to look at her. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers, gentle and sweet. He felt her smile. He felt her exhale. He felt her still. He felt himself break.

He pressed his tear stained face into her neck and gave one hitching gasp before he whispered, "Good night, Tifa." Carefully, he laid her on her side, gently cradling her head and brushing her hair back once more before he looked at Aerith, crying silently from where she'd been shoved aside. She nodded once, swallowing her pain and sorrow just as he did. They said no words, but a promise was made.

_This ends now._

_A/N: Hey all. One more chapter to go, gonna try to get it finished up this week. Maybe sooner than that. Thanks to everyone who has been leaving comments and clicking the favorite/ follow button. I really appreciate the support!_


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